Is ibuprofen polar?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking whether ibuprofen, a commonly used medication, is a polar molecule or not. This involves understanding the molecular structure of ibuprofen and how its functional groups affect its polarity.
Answer
Ibuprofen is predominantly non-polar with a partially polar carboxylic acid group.
The final answer is that ibuprofen is predominantly non-polar.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is that ibuprofen is predominantly non-polar.
More Information
Ibuprofen is often used as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory drug. While its overall structure is non-polar, the carboxylic acid group allows limited solubility in water due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming that the presence of any polar group makes the entire molecule polar. The overall polarity depends on the entire structure, not just one functional group.
Sources
- Ibuprofen Chapter 13 Problem 32 - vaia.com
- High Microsolvated complexes of ibuprofen - pubs.rsc.org
- USD Sites - University of San Diego - sites.sandiego.edu
