All of the members of one homologous series undergo very similar chemical reactions as one another. Which part of the molecules is mainly responsible for gi...
Question 1 Report
All of the members of one homologous series undergo very similar chemical reactions as one another. Which part of the molecules is mainly responsible for giving the members of a series their similar chemical properties?
Answer Details
A homologous series is a family of compounds with the same general formula, whose members differ by CH2 and share the same functional group. Reactions occur where a bond is polar or can break easily, and that is exactly what the functional group provides: -OH in alcohols, C=C in alkenes, -COOH in carboxylic acids. Because every member carries the same reactive site, all members undergo the same reactions.
The hydrocarbon chain is comparatively unreactive, so counting hydrogen atoms or comparing relative molecular masses predicts physical trends such as boiling point and viscosity, not chemical behaviour. Colour is irrelevant, since most of these compounds are colourless.
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