[Ashutosh]

HC-(OH)3 is unstable.why
if the reason is repulsion of -OH groups,then to minimise repulsion angle O-C-O will be 90.is it possible ???I think that at this condition there may be least repulsion between -OH &-OH
thank you

[movies]

For one thing, in this case the triol can break down to form water and formic acid, which allows a lot more entropy.

[Mitch]

Decomposition isn't necessarily related to instability or is it?

[movies]

Well, p-chem people tell me there is a difference between "stable" and "unreactive" but I can never remember what the key difference is.

[Ashutosh]

TO MOVIES
  I THINK,UNREACTIVE ELEMENT OR COMPOUND IS ALWAYS STABLE.HARDLY THEY REACT WITH OTHERS.
e.g.Au(GOLD)IS UNREACTIVE OR IT HAS VERY LESS COMPOUNDS.
HENCE,IT IS STABLE.
  BUT,STABLE COMPOUNDS CAN BE VERY REACTIVE OR LESS REACTIVE.
e.g.METHANE IS STABLE COMPOUND BUT IT REACTS WITH SEVERAL COMPOUNDS.THEREFORE IT IS STABLE AND REACTIVE

[Ashutosh]

TO MOVIES
   YOU SAID,IN THE GIVEN CASE THE MOLECULE BREAKS TO GIVE WATER.THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION.INSTEAD OF REMOVAL OF WATER,AN ANGLE AS I CAN SUGGEST (HO--C--OH=90)IS THIS NOT POSSIBLE
   OR IS IT RELATED TO INTERNAL ENERGY.i.e REMOVAL OF WATER CAUSES HUGE DECREASE IN THE INTERNAL ENERGY

[2810713]

 The energy released or entropy increased due to HOH formation would be sufficient to explain that, but in such a case, ithink, the triol should always get split to give HOH or another compound in a thermodyanamically favoured way [ i mean releasing energy or increasing entropy.] But, all of us seem to be guessing, how, can we get this confirmed???

And movies, ' stable ' means comparitively less reactive and  non- reactive is always nonreactive  , and its reactions are ecxeptions .



hrushikesh