Comparison of polarity between ethyl acetate and n-hexane.
The polarity of a couple is related to its molecular structure and charge distribution, and is crucial to everything in chemistry, such as separation and dissolution. Today, the polarity of ethyl acetate and n-hexane is discussed in detail to clarify their differences and help various chemical manipulations.

Ethyl acetate, in its molecular structure, contains carbonyl and ester groups. Carbonyl is connected by a double bond of carbon and oxygen, and the electronegativity of oxygen is stronger than that of carbon, causing the electron cloud to bias towards the oxygen atom, making the carbonyl carbon partially positively charged and the oxygen partially negatively charged. This polarity is significant. In the ester group, the oxygen atom also has an electron-absorbing effect, which makes the molecular charge distribution uneven and the whole polarity.

In contrast, n-hexane is a straight-chain alkane composed of a single bond of hydrocarbons. The difference in electronegativity of hydrocarbons is small, and the polarity of hydrocarbons is weak. And the molecular structure is symmetrical, the charge distribution is uniform, and its polarity is extremely weak, almost non-polar molecules.

Compared with the polarity of the two, the polarity of ethyl acetate is much stronger than that of n-hexane. This difference is obvious in many chemical scenarios. In extraction and separation, the solubility of different polarities varies in ethyl acetate and n-hexane. Polar solutes are easily soluble in polar ethyl acetate, while non-polar solutes prefer non-polar n-hexane. In chromatographic analysis, the polarity matching of stationary and mobile phases also depends on this. If the mobile phase is n-hexane, it is suitable for separating non-polar or weakly polar substances; if it is necessary to separate polar substances, ethyl acetate is often mixed with other solvents to adjust the polarity of the mobile phase and achieve the ideal separation effect.

In summary, the difference in polarity between ethyl acetate and n-hexane is an important basis in chemical research and industrial production, which can help researchers and practitioners to choose the appropriate solvent and method according to the characteristics of the substance and achieve the desired goal.