Which of the following is an example of a hydrocarbon derivative commonly used as a solvent?

• A. Ethane
• B. Methane
• C. Acetone
• D. Ethyne

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that solvents are often hydrocarbon derivatives—moured with functional groups that add polarity and help dissolve a wide range of substances. Ethane and methane are simple, nonpolar hydrocarbons, so they don’t interact well with polar compounds and aren’t ideal solvents. Ethyne is also nonpolar and, at room temperature, is a gas, making it impractical as a general solvent.

Acetone, on the other hand, is a carbonyl compound (a ketone). The carbonyl group creates polarity, so acetone can dissolve both polar and nonpolar materials and is miscible with water. It also has a relatively low boiling point, so it evaporates readily, which is a desirable property for many solvent applications. These features make acetone the typical solvent among the options.