Place the following substances in order of decreasing boiling point. H₂O N₂ CO A)CO H₂O N₂ B)N₂ CO H₂O C)H₂O CO N₂ D)CO N₂ H₂O E)N₂ H₂O CO

Question

Place the following substances in order of decreasing boiling point. H₂O N₂ CO A)CO > H₂O > N₂ B)N₂ > CO > H₂O C)H₂O > CO > N₂ D)CO > N₂ > H₂O E)N₂ > H₂O > CO

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The order of boiling points is primarily determined by the strength of intermolecular forces. H₂O has hydrogen bonding, which is the strongest intermolecular force among the given substances. This makes it have the highest boiling point. CO has dipole-dipole interactions, which are weaker than hydrogen bonding, but stronger than London dispersion forces (which are present in all substances). N₂ also has dipole-dipole interactions. Therefore, the order of boiling points is H₂O > CO > N₂. The correct answer is C.

Place the Following Substances in Order of Decreasing Boiling Point