Q. Which of the following compounds would exhibit highest dipole moment?
Rajasthan PMTRajasthan PMT 2011
Solution:
The order of dipole moments
Methanol has higher dipole moment than dimethyl ether because oxygen of $ O-H $ bond can withdraw electrons from H atom more easily as compare to oxygen of $ O-C $ bond, thus becomes more polar. Acetic acid and acetone has higher dipole moment than methanol, because both has a $ s{{p}^{2}}- $ hybridized oxygen atom
which is more electronegative and electron withdrawing as electronegative and electron withdrawing as compare to $ s{{p}^{3}}- $ hybridized oxygen atom $ (C-O) $ . Whereas the small dipole moment of acetic acid as compare to acetone is due to the dispersion of negative charge between two oxygen atoms.
