Question Detail
Question
As the molecular weight of alkanes increases, how do the boiling point and melting point change?
Correct Answer
Option D is the correct answer.
Detailed Explanation
As molecular weight increases, boiling points increase steadily. Melting points also generally increase but not as smoothly; there is a zigzag pattern due to packing efficiency in the solid state, especially for alkanes with more than four carbons.
Hint
How do boiling points and melting points vary with molecular weight?