Solution help: Why does iodine dissolve when added to ethanol/hexane?

yassengregorovich

Why does iodine dissolve when added to ethanol/hexane?

Is it a physical or a chemical change? I’m not quite sure, but I’ve heard somewhere that halogens react with organic molecules - but why are they called “dissolved” then?

ARGH… bloody chemistry.

This closed post was written 10 months ago | V/U/S: 1,283, 13, 2 | Edit Post | Report Post

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Since writing this post yassengregorovich may have helped people, but has not within the last 4 days. yassengregorovich is a verified member, has been around for 1 year, 9 months and has 45 posts and 355 replies to their name.

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chemistry, Iodine, Solution (How Tags Affect Reciprocity)

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yassengregorovich 2 #
An Undisclosed Location | 10 months ago (8 minutes after post)

It has something to do with intermolecular forces. I believe van der Waals forces play a role. It will dissolve in water badly because of the H-bonding inhibiting it, but I haven’t a clue about organic solvents.

Apparently, it can be regarded as both chemical and physical change but I’m just confused…

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yassengregorovich 2 #
An Undisclosed Location | 10 months ago (16 minutes after post)

renae_g2 wrote:
i dont know about that but im sure you can go to a website about science and find the answer good luck and somethings im sure can classify as both

I’ve tried, believe me. Google turns up only junk :S

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jordan.mason 1 #
An Unknown Location | 10 months ago (19 minutes after post)

H20, what is dissolution? Iodine has how many electrons? I am thinking that the Iodine will dissolve in water to make Hydrogen Iodide (HI). It was last semester since I took College Chemistry, but this seems like you are doing Organic, which … yeah.

I am pretty sure you are on the right track by thinking about the IMF Forces. I would go through each of them. The London Forces, the et cetera et cetera and then go from there.

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jordan.mason 1 #
An Unknown Location | 10 months ago (21 minutes after post)

OH! It changes to a gas, when it changes to HI, but also has chemically changed. So you have a phase change of solution as well as the chemical change. That is why it is both …

Wait now I am questioning myself … ugh … you know what, take it or leave it … it felt like my noggin’ was sparking up something, but it might not have been.

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yassengregorovich 2 #
An Undisclosed Location | 10 months ago (24 minutes after post)

jordan.mason wrote:
OH! It changes to a gas, when it changes to HI, but also has chemically changed. So you have a phase change of solution as well as the chemical change. That is why it is both …Wait now I am questioning myself … ugh … you know what, take it or leave it … it felt like my noggin’ was sparking up something, but it might not have been.

It doesn’t change to HI though. Iodine is diatomic and strongly covalent, more so than H2O so it will not change to HI. Only the hydrogen bonds of water interact with iodine causing strong repulsion -> very bad solute

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jordan.mason 1 #
An Unknown Location | 10 months ago (26 minutes after post)

H20(l) + I2(g) –> HI(?) + I-(?) + O2-(?) ?? No?

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yassengregorovich 2 #
An Undisclosed Location | 10 months ago (31 minutes after post)

renae_g2 wrote:
sorry google isnt helping but im lost i only graduated high school and thou we talked about this its one of those things you put in the back of your mind and say screw it i only need to know it for a test then forget it the day after i wish you luck on your quest!

Hehe, thanks anyways. also, thanks jordan.mason and renae_g2. I guess I’ll have to ask my teacher about it (though she’s usually completely useless). Help.com certainly isn’t the ideal platform to ask this on :)

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jordan.mason 1 #
An Unknown Location | 10 months ago (33 minutes after post)

I sympathize with you, as I struggled through my Chemistry class last semester. There are so many exceptions to the rules, that it is disturbing to call it a Science.

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yassengregorovich 2 #
An Undisclosed Location | 10 months ago (8 hours, 29 minutes after post)

Hah! I got the answer! Thanks everyone! It’s because iodine is covalent nonpolar and like dissolves like. Although ethanol is not completely nonpolar because of the OH group, it does dissolve iodine! H2O doesn’t because the iodine molecules are rejected by the hydrogen bonds. Hexane is even easier, it’s even more polar than ethanol.

Thanks again!

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