Question

Arrange these compounds by their expected boiling point.Highest boiling pointLowest boiling pointCH3OH, CH3Cl, CH4

Answer 1

CH3OH > CH3Cl > CH4

Step-by-step explanation:

The boiling point of a compound depends on the nature and magnitude of intermolecular forces acting between its molecules.

Methanol contains the -OH group, hence hydrogen bonds are dominant intermolecular forces in the compound. Presence of hydrogen bonds increases the boiling point of a substance, hence methanol has the highest boiling point followed by chloromethane which has dipole-dipole interaction as dominant intermolecular forces and methane having only weak dispersion forces as dominant intermolecular forces.