Does alcohol molecules get more or less polar as the hydrocarbon chain length strengthen?

Chemistry · College · Mon Jan 18 2021

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  1. As the hydrocarbon chain length strengthens in alcohol molecules, their polarity generally decreases. Alcohols are organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl (-OH) functional group. The hydroxyl group is polar because oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, creating a partial negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogen.
  2. The hydrocarbon chain in alcohols consists of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Carbon and hydrogen have similar electronegativities, so the carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds are considered nonpolar. As the length of the hydrocarbon chain increases, the overall polarity of the molecule is influenced by the balance between the polar hydroxyl group and the nonpolar hydrocarbon chain.

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