Which of the following statements is true for an ether?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

An ether's oxygen atom has two lone pairs but is bonded only to carbon atoms (general structure R–O–R), so it can accept hydrogen bonds but lacks an O–H bond to donate them.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Hydrogen bond donor: a molecule that supplies a hydrogen atom that is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (O, N, or F) and can participate in hydrogen bonding.
- Hydrogen bond acceptor: an electronegative atom with lone pair(s) (commonly O, N, or F) that can interact with a hydrogen from a donor.
- Ether structure: R–O–R (no H attached to O), oxygen has lone pairs and is fairly electronegative.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- Check for donor ability: Ethers do not have an O–H or N–H bond. Because there is no hydrogen covalently bonded to oxygen, an ether cannot donate an H for hydrogen bonding. Therefore it is not a hydrogen bond donor.
- Check for acceptor ability: The oxygen in an ether has two lone pairs and a partial negative charge; it can interact electrostatically with hydrogen atoms that are bonded to electronegative atoms in other molecules (for example, H of water or alcohols). Thus ethers can accept hydrogen bonds from donors.

3) Intermediate steps / examples
- Diethyl ether (CH3CH2–O–CH2CH3) cannot form O–H···O hydrogen bonds with another diethyl ether molecule (no O–H), so it has relatively low boiling point compared with alcohols of similar size.
- However, diethyl ether can form H-bonds with water: H–O–H···O(ether) where the ether oxygen is the acceptor.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- Because ethers possess lone-pair-bearing oxygen (acceptor sites) but lack an O–H bond (no donor hydrogen), they can act as hydrogen bond acceptors only.

5) Why other options are incorrect
- a (donor only): incorrect — ethers lack an O–H bond, so cannot donate.
- c (neither donor nor acceptor): incorrect — oxygen lone pairs enable acceptance of H-bonds.
- d (both donor and acceptor): incorrect — no O–H hydrogen means they cannot donate.

6) Conclusion
This reasoning confirms option b. It can act as a hydrogen bond acceptor only.

Which of the following statements is true for an ether?单项选择题

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Which of the following statement about Hydrogen bonds is correct?

When the molecules of ethanol, C2H5OH, are added to water, the ethanol molecules . 当乙醇分子 C 2 H 5 OH 加入水中时，乙醇分子会。

Which of the following statement about Hydrogen bonds is correct?

Which of the following statement about Hydrogen bonds is correct?

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Each water molecule can hydrogen bond with ________ other water molecules

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Which of the following statements is true for an ether?单项选择题

类似问题

How many hydrogen bonds could the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen theoretically participate in at the same time? A. 2 B. 4 C. 5 D. 7

How many hydrogen bonds could the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen theoretically participate in at the same time? A. 2 B. 4 C. 5 D. 7

Which of the following statement about Hydrogen bonds is correct?

When the ________ molecules of ethanol, C2H5OH, are added to water, the ethanol molecules ________. 当乙醇________分子 C 2 H 5 OH 加入水中时，乙醇分子会________。

Which of the following statement about Hydrogen bonds is correct?

Which of the following statement about Hydrogen bonds is correct?

The unique properties of water are due to the ___ of water molecules and the ability of water to form ___ with other water molecules and with other polar molecules.

Each water molecule can hydrogen bond with ________ other water molecules

更多留学生实用工具

希望你的学习变得更简单

When the molecules of ethanol, C2H5OH, are added to water, the ethanol molecules . 当乙醇分子 C 2 H 5 OH 加入水中时，乙醇分子会。

The unique properties of water are due to the _ of water molecules and the ability of water to form _ with other water molecules and with other polar molecules.