The polarity of ethyl acetate is stronger than that of hexane. The polarity of ethyl acetate is related to whether the molecular charge distribution is uniform or not. The following numbers can be obtained from the detailed study of the reason why ethyl acetate is stronger than hexane polarity.
First on the molecular structure. Hexane is a chain alkane, and its molecules are connected by carbon and hydrogen atoms by covalent bonds. Hydrocarbons are similar in electronegativity, and the electron cloud is relatively uniform in the molecule, with no obvious charge bias, and the whole is symmetrical, which is the characteristic of non-polar molecules. In contrast, ethyl acetate has a structure containing carbonyl (C = O) and ester (-COO-). In the carbonyl group, the electronegativity of the oxygen atom is much higher than that of the carbon atom, causing the electron cloud to be biased towards the oxygen atom, so that the carbonyl carbon is partially positively charged and the oxygen is partially negatively charged; the ester group also has a similar electron shift. This unique structure makes the molecular charge distribution of ethyl acetate uneven, showing polarity.
and the properties of chemical bonds. In hexane, there are single bonds of carbon and hydrogen, and the polarity of the bonds is weak. In ethyl acetate, except for the single bond of carbon and hydrogen, the carbon-oxygen double bond of the carbonyl group is extremely polar. The difference in carbon-oxygen electronegativity is large, and the electron pair is strongly biased towards the oxygen atom. This polar bond plays a significant role in the formation of molecular polarity, making the overall polarity of ethyl acetate far exceed that of hexane.
Furthermore, Intermolecular access force, induction force and dispersion force between polar molecules, and only dispersion force between non-polar molecules. Due to the polarity of ethyl acetate, in addition to dispersion force, there are orientation force and induction force between molecules, resulting in stronger intermolecular forces than hexane. This is also one of the proofs that the polarity of ethyl acetate is greater than that of hexane.
In summary, the polarity of ethyl acetate is stronger than that of hexane due to differences in molecular structure, the existence of special polar bonds, and the difference in intermolecular forces.