Chapter 14, Problem 60A

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation: Volatile liquid needs to be defined.

Concept Introduction: Volatile liquids are those which can easily change to their vapor state at a given temperature. Liquids with high vapor pressure are unstable. Example: Alcohol, acetone, perfumes, etc. are volatile at room temperature.

Explanation of Solution

Instability describes how easily a substance evaporates (turns into gas or vapor). Volatile matter can be defined as a substance that evaporates easily at normal temperatures and have a measurable vapor pressure. The term instability usually applied to fluids.

Volatile liquids have high vapor pressures that evaporate immediately from an open container; Non-volatile liquids have low vapor pressures. When the vapor pressure of a liquid is equal to the external pressure, it starts to boil.

Some liquids have high vapor pressure and others have low vapor pressure, this is based on intermolecular forces such as London scatter forces, dipole-dipole forces and hydrogen bonding. If the molecular force is strong, the vapor pressure will be low.