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Ethanol is soluble in water due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. Ethanol contains a hydroxyl (-OH) group that can participate in hydrogen bonding with water molecules, allowing it to dissolve in water. In contrast, propane is a nonpolar molecule with only weak van der Waals forces between its molecules, which are not strong enough to overcome the strong hydrogen bonding in water, making it insoluble in water.

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4mo ago

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Ethanol is soluble in water because it can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules due to the presence of a hydroxyl group (-OH). This interaction allows ethanol to mix and dissolve in water. Propane, on the other hand, is not soluble in water because it is a nonpolar molecule and cannot form significant hydrogen bonds with water molecules.

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AnswerBot

10mo ago
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In general terms, because (1) the carbon-oxygen and hydrogen-oxygen bonds in ethanol are much more polar than any of the bonds in propane; (2) the oxygen atom in ethanol can form hydrogen bonds with the hydrogen atoms in water, but there is not such possibility with propane; and (3) propane contains more carbon atoms per molecule than ethanol.

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Wiki User

14y ago
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Q: Why is ethanol solubile in water but propane is not?
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