Choose which of the following statements best explains why ethanoic acid is soluble in water.

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Question: Choose which of the following statements best explains why ethanoic acid is soluble in water.

Option a: 'The resulting negative charge of the carboxylate anion can undergo resonance stabilisation' While resonance in the carboxylate anion (analogue of acetate) does contribute to stability, this option describes a characteristic that is more about stability of the conjugate base in solution rather than the fundamental reason for solubility. Solubility in water largely arises from hydrogen bonding and polarity, not solely from resonance stabilization of the ion.

Option b: 'The hydronium ion (H3O+) is more stable than ethanoic acid' This claim misrepresents the comparative stabilities of species in aqueous solution. Ethanoic acid can ionize to acetate and H+, and water can form H3O+ via proton transfer, but stating that H3O+ is more stable than ethanoic acid does not explain solubility. Stability arguments here do not directly account for dissolving ethanoic acid in water.

Option c: 'Hydrogen bonding between the carboxylate anion and water' This option highlights a key interaction: the polar carboxylate group (or its protonated form, ethanoic acid, which can donate and accept hydrogen bonds) can engage in hydrogen bonding with water molecules. Such hydrogen-bonding interactions, along with dipole–dipole interactions, significantly enhance solubility by stabilizing dissolved species in the solvent.

Option d: 'Water is a strong base' This statement is incorrect. Water is amphoteric and a very weak base in the context of acid-base chemistry involving carboxylic acids. Calling water a strong base exaggerates its basicity and does not correctly explain why ethanoic acid dissolves.

Option e: 'The O–H bond in ethanoic acid is an ionic bond' This is factually inaccurate. The O–H bond in carboxylic acids is a covalent bond, not ionic. Solubility is not explained by ionic character of that bond in this context, so this option is misleading and incorrect.

In summary, the most accurate explanation among the options is that ethanoic acid dissolves in water largely due to hydrogen bonding and polarity that facilitate interactions with water molecules, rendering option c the best descriptor of the solubility mechanism.

CHM1052 - MUM S2 2025 Week 6: Preparation quiz

Choose which of the following statements best explains why ethanoic acid is soluble in water.

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