Given below are two statements: Statement I : 2,2-Dimethylbutane has a higher boiling point than n-hexane. Statement II : An increase in branching of an alkane chain decreases the surface area of the molecule, which results in weaker intermolecular van der Waals forces. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Step-by-step solution

The boiling point of alkanes depends on the magnitude of intermolecular van der Waals forces, which in turn depends on the surface area of the molecule. n-Hexane is a straight-chain alkane and has a larger surface area compared to its branched isomers. 2,2-Dimethylbutane is a highly branched isomer of hexane. As branching increases, the molecule adopts a more spherical shape, which decreases the effective surface area of contact between molecules. A decrease in surface area results in weaker intermolecular van der