Question

The higher the heat of combustion of a solvent, the ______ the amount of heat released when the solvent burns in oxygen and the ______ it is to exceed the activation energy of the solvent. This results in a ______ flash point.

a) greater, easier, lower
b) greater, harder, higher
c) lesser, easier, lower
d) lesser, harder, higher

Answer 1

The higher heat of combustion indicates more energy release during combustion, making it easier to ignite the solvent, resulting in a lower flash point.

Step-by-step explanation:

The higher the heat of combustion of a solvent, the greater the amount of heat released when the solvent burns in oxygen and the easier it is to exceed the activation energy of the solvent. This results in a lower flash point. Therefore, the correct answer is a) greater, easier, lower.

Intermolecular forces

The heat of combustion is indicative of the amount of energy released during the combustion process. A higher heat of combustion means more energy is being released, which makes it easier to reach or exceed the energy barrier necessary to initiate the reaction - known as the activation energy. With a lower activation energy threshold, the solvent will ignite at a lower temperature, which is reflected in a lower flash point.