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2. explain the relative solubility of iodine in a) water and b) hexane in terms of the particles present in iodine and the forces of attraction holding particles together. suggest a reason for the differing colours of solutions of iodine in those different solvents.
Accepted Answer
Iodine (I2) is a nonpolar molecule due to the equal sharing of electrons between the two iodine atoms.
a) Water is a polar solvent, meaning it has a positive and negative end due to the electronegativity difference between hydrogen and oxygen. Due to the difference in polarity, iodine is not soluble in water. The weak London dispersion forces between iodine molecules are not strong enough to overcome the strong hydrogen bonding between water molecules.
b) Hexane is a nonpolar solvent. The weak London dispersion forces between iodine molecules and hexane molecules are enough to overcome the forces holding the iodine molecules together. Iodine is soluble in hexane.
The colour difference of iodine solutions in water and hexane arises from the different interactions between iodine and the solvents. In water, iodine exists primarily as I3- ions, which are brown-red in color. In hexane, iodine retains its diatomic molecular structure (I2) and exhibits a violet color.
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