Why do molecular weight and BP/MP differ in formaldehyde and ethane?

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
Sign up Log in
5 replies · 3K views
whit88
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
While both molecules have a very similar molecular weight, their boiling and melting points vary significantly. Explain the behavoir.


i have look everywhere to try and figure out why the bp and mp are different from mw but i just can't get anywhere!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
what kinds of compounds are you talking about?
 
ethane and formaldehyde
 
what's the structure of formaldehyde? I forgot.
 
does this have to do with intermolecular interactions?
 
if it does, it's because stronger intermolecular forces occur between the different components of formaldehyde like hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole interactions, and London forces while only London forces occur in between the different components of ethane, giving formaldehyde a higher boiling/melting point.