Which is a polar solvent?

Which is a polar solvent?

• A. Diesel fuel
• B. Jet fuel
• C. Alcohol
• D. Kerosene

Answer: (C)

Polarity in a solvent comes from a molecule having an uneven distribution of electrical charge, creating a dipole that can engage in hydrogen bonding and dissolve polar substances. Alcohol has a hydroxyl group (-OH), where the oxygen is highly electronegative. This makes the molecule itself polar and capable of strong dipole–dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding, so it behaves as a polar solvent. The other fuels are mainly hydrocarbons with long chains of carbon and hydrogen. Their bonds are relatively nonpolar, leading to little charge separation, so they don’t act as polar solvents. That’s why alcohol is the best choice here.

Polarity in a solvent comes from a molecule having an uneven distribution of electrical charge, creating a dipole that can engage in hydrogen bonding and dissolve polar substances. Alcohol has a hydroxyl group (-OH), where the oxygen is highly electronegative. This makes the molecule itself polar and capable of strong dipole–dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding, so it behaves as a polar solvent.

The other fuels are mainly hydrocarbons with long chains of carbon and hydrogen. Their bonds are relatively nonpolar, leading to little charge separation, so they don’t act as polar solvents. That’s why alcohol is the best choice here.