Automotive antifreeze is typically a 50:50 mixture (by volume) of water and ethylene glycol. Discuss why this solution is useful for protecting automobile engines from both summer and winter temperature extremes.

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Answer:

A 50:50 mixture of ethylene glycol and water is effective both summer and winter extremes in temperature because of high boiling point of 106°C and low freezing point of about -37°C. In summer when the average daily temperature rises to about 22°c, the mixture will be effective in keeping the automobile engine cool. Also in winter, when the average temperature falls below 0°C, the mixture will be effective as an antifreeze as it remains a liquid well below 0°C.

Explanation:

Ethylene glycol or antifreeze is an organic compound which is used in automobile engines as a coolant and also as an anti-freezing agent, however it does not conduct heat effectively as water due to its lower heat capacity. It has a freezing point of -12.9°C and boiling point of 197.3°C.

Water is also used as a coolant in automobile engine but it has a limited range due to its boiling point of 100°C. It is also not a good anti-freezing agent due to it high freezing point of 0.°C

However, when ethylene glycol is mixed with water in a ratio of  50:50, the property of the mixture is enhanced to both serve as a coolant and as an antifreeze. The boiling point is elevated to about 106°C while its freezing point is lowered to about -37°C.

This temperature range is effective for both summer and winter temperatures. In summer when the average daily temperature rises to about 22°c, the mixture will be effective in keeping the the automobile engine cool. Also in winter, when the average temperature falls below 0°C, the mixture will be effective as an antifreeze as it remains a liquid well below 0°C.