Solubility of organic compounds

[DespicableMe]

Homework Statement

Rank the solubilities of these organic compounds from lowest to highest:
Hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, carboxylic acid.

The Attempt at a Solution

I know that hydrocarbons is the lowest - it cannot form H bonds with itself nor can it form H bonds with water.

For the other 3, though, I'm not sure which one has a stronger solubility over the other two.
They are all soluble because they can form H-bonds with water even though they might not be able to form H bonds with itself (aldehydes).
All their solubilities fall as the length of their hydrocarbon chains increase, so I'm not sure how to rank the last 3.

 

[Borek]

What if something is ionized?

 

[DespicableMe]

What if something is ionized?

I'm not sure, they only asked us to rank those 3.

 

[Borek]

What acid does in water?

 

[DeeNos]

I would first clarify the conditions under which the solubilities are being compared. Solubility can vary greatly depending on factors such as temperature, pressure, and the specific solvent being used. Without this information, it is difficult to accurately rank the solubilities of these organic compounds.

Assuming we are comparing the solubilities of these compounds in water at room temperature, the ranking would likely be as follows: hydrocarbons < aldehydes < alcohols < carboxylic acid. This is because aldehydes and alcohols can form hydrogen bonds with water, making them more soluble than hydrocarbons which cannot form these bonds. Carboxylic acids, on the other hand, can form even stronger hydrogen bonds due to the presence of a carboxyl group, making them the most soluble among the four compounds.

However, it is important to note that this ranking may not hold true for all solvents and conditions. In some cases, the size and shape of the molecules may also play a role in their solubility. Further experimentation and data collection would be needed to accurately rank the solubilities of these compounds under different conditions.