Which pair of compounds would be difficult to distinguish using infrared spectroscopy?
A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2020 - Paper 1
Question 4
Which pair of compounds would be difficult to distinguish using infrared spectroscopy?
A. Butane and propane
B. Ethane and propan-1-ol
C. Propanol and propanoic aci... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Which pair of compounds would be difficult to distinguish using infrared spectroscopy?
A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2020 - Paper 1
Step 1
Butane and propane
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Answer
Butane (C₄H₁₀) and propane (C₃H₈) have similar molecular structures and may have overlapping infrared absorption spectra. As they both are alkanes with C–H bonds, distinguishing them based on infrared spectroscopy is challenging.
Step 2
Ethane and propan-1-ol
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Answer
Ethane (C₂H₆) is an alkane, while propan-1-ol (C₃H₈O) has an alcohol functional group. These differences would allow them to be distinguished using infrared spectroscopy due to the distinct O–H stretching vibrations in propan-1-ol.
Step 3
Propanol and propanoic acid
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Answer
Propanol (C₃H₈O) has an alcohol functional group, while propanoic acid (C₃H₆O₂) has a carboxylic acid group. The infrared spectra would differ significantly, making them easily distinguishable.
Step 4
Methanamine and propanone
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Answer
Methanamine (CH₅N) possesses amine functional groups and propanone (C₃H₆O) has a carbonyl group. The infrared spectra of these compounds show unique absorption peaks due to their functional groups, facilitating identification.
