Question

Propanol has higher boiling point than that of the hydrocarbon butane why

Answer 1

Boiling point increases with increase in intermolecular forces. Although butane and propanol have comparable molecular masses (58 and 60 respectively) but, in propanol, polar -OH group is present, due to which strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding exists between its molecules but butane cannot make hydrogen bonds, hence propanol has a higher boiling point.

Answer 2

$\huge\textcolor{red}{\texttt{Answer :-}}$

The molecule of propanol are held together by intermolecular hydrogen bonding while butane molecules have only weak van der Waals forces of attraction.

Since hydrogen bonds are stronger than van der Waals force, therefore, propanol has higher boiling point than butane.