Question

Explain the following:

Neopentyl chloride has a lower boiling point than isopentyl chloride.

Answer 1

The branching of the chain in neopentyl chloride is more than in isopentyl chloride, which makes the molecule more compact and decreases its surface area. This reduction in surface area decreases the magnitude of the Van der Waals forces of attraction between two neopentyl chloride molecules, which consequently lowers the boiling point, making it less than that of isopentyl chloride.