Hydroxy Compounds

Question 1

Why do alcohols with more than 4 carbons are partially miscible or immiscible with water?

Answer 1

As length of carbon chain increases, the id-id interactions between hydrocarbon chains in the alcohol becomes more significant. The amount of energy evolved during formation of id-id interactions between water and alcohol molecules and hydrogen bonding is insufficient to overcome the id-id interactions between alcohol molecules and hydrogen bonding between water molecules.