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Q.67 Chemistry ⭐ 360° Option Elimination Active
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NEET 2025 Chemistry Question 67 Solution

Topic: Amines · Official NTA Booklet Code 45
NEET 2025 Chemistry Question 67: Decreasing Order of Basic Strength of Substituted Amines in Aqueous Medium

Question

The correct order of decreasing basic strength of the given amines is:

  1. (1)N-methylaniline > benzenamine > ethanamine > N-ethylethanamine
  2. (2)N-ethylethanamine > ethanamine > benzenamine > N-methylaniline
  3. (3)N-ethylethanamine > ethanamine > N-methylaniline > benzenamine
  4. (4)benzenamine > ethanamine > N-methylaniline > N-ethylethanamine
✓
Verified Against NTA Final Answer Key
Option (3) : N-ethylethanamine > ethanamine > N-methylaniline > benzenamine
📚 Amines Medium
📋 Given Parameters & Problem Setup
Amine 1 N-ethylethanamine (Diethylamine, (CH₃CH₂)₂NH, 2° aliphatic amine)
Amine 2 Ethanamine (Ethylamine, CH₃CH₂NH₂, 1° aliphatic amine)
Amine 3 N-methylaniline (C₆H₅NH(CH₃), secondary aromatic-aliphatic amine)
Amine 4 Benzenamine (Aniline, C₆H₅NH₂, 1° aromatic amine)
⚡

The 30-Second Exam Hall Shortcut: ⚡ Aliphatic Beats Aromatic Basicity Rule

⏱️ Save ~45 seconds

Rule 1: Aliphatic amines are 10⁶ times more basic than aromatic amines (resonance delocalizes nitrogen lone pair into benzene ring). Rule 2: In ethyl amines, 2° > 1° (Diethylamine > Ethylamine). Rule 3: N-methylaniline has +I methyl pushing electron density into N > Aniline! Order: N-ethylethanamine > ethanamine > N-methylaniline > benzenamine!

1 Classify amines: Aliphatic (N-ethylethanamine, ethanamine) vs Aromatic (N-methylaniline, benzenamine).
2 Aliphatic amines have localized nitrogen lone pairs (+I alkyl groups), making them far more basic than aromatic amines (where the lone pair is delocalized into the aromatic π-system).
3 Compare aliphatic pair: In aqueous solution, ethyl-substituted amines follow the canonical 231 order: 2° > 1° ⟹ N-ethylethanamine > ethanamine.
4 Compare aromatic pair: N-methylaniline contains an electron-donating methyl group (+I effect) attached to nitrogen, which increases electron density on N relative to unsubstituted benzenamine (aniline). Thus N-methylaniline > benzenamine.
5 Combined decreasing basicity: N-ethylethanamine > ethanamine > N-methylaniline > benzenamine.
6 Matches Option (3) in under 15 seconds!
🛡️
Why You Can 100% Trust This Shortcut: Inductive, Steric, and Solvation Effects on Amine Basicity (NCERT Chemistry · Amines).
📐

Step-by-Step Rigorous Workflow & Mathematical Proof

Step 1

Contrast Aliphatic vs. Aromatic Amines

In aromatic amines (benzenamine and N-methylaniline), the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom is conjugated with the aromatic π-electron system and delocalized over the ortho and para positions:

pKb(Aliphatic)≈3.0−3.3≪pKb(Aromatic)≈9.3−9.4pK_b(\text{Aliphatic}) \approx 3.0 - 3.3 \ll pK_b(\text{Aromatic}) \approx 9.3 - 9.4
  • • Because lower pK_b corresponds to stronger basicity, aliphatic amines are over six orders of magnitude more basic than aromatic amines.
  • • Therefore, both aliphatic amines stand ahead of both aromatic amines in basic strength.
Step 2

Compare Aliphatic Amines (Inductive, Steric & Solvation Effects)

In aqueous medium, the basic strength of alkylamines is governed by a balance of inductive (+I), steric hindrance, and hydration of the conjugate cation:

For ethyl group: 2∘>3∘>1∘>NH3  ⟹  (C2H5)2NH>C2H5NH2\text{For ethyl group: } 2^\circ > 3^\circ > 1^\circ > \text{NH}_3 \implies (\text{C}_2\text{H}_5)_2\text{NH} > \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{NH}_2
  • • N-ethylethanamine (pK_b = 3.00) is a stronger base than ethanamine (pK_b = 3.29).
Step 3

Compare Aromatic Amines and Synthesize the Hierarchy

In N-methylaniline, the methyl group exerts an electron-releasing (+I) inductive effect, increasing electron density on the nitrogen atom and stabilizing the protonated anilinium ion compared to aniline:

pKb(N-methylaniline)=9.30<pKb(benzenamine)=9.38  ⟹  N-methylaniline>benzenaminepK_b(\text{N-methylaniline}) = 9.30 < pK_b(\text{benzenamine}) = 9.38 \implies \text{N-methylaniline} > \text{benzenamine}
  • • Full decreasing order of basic strength:
  • • \text{N-ethylethanamine} > \text{ethanamine} > \text{N-methylaniline} > \text{benzenamine}.
  • • Matches Option (3) perfectly.
⭐

360° Option Elimination Engine Key Feature

Diagnose every choice: Know exactly why the right option works and why distractors fail.

4-Option Deep Scan
1 A
✗ Incorrect
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Falsely claims aromatic amines are more basic than aliphatic amines.

⚠️
Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Ignoring resonance delocalization of aromatic nitrogen lone pairs.
2 B
✗ Incorrect
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Inverts the relative basicity of benzenamine and N-methylaniline.

⚠️
Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Ignoring the electron-donating +I effect of the methyl group in N-methylaniline.
3 C
✓ 100% Correct
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

100% correct. 2° aliphatic > 1° aliphatic > substituted aromatic (+I) > unsubstituted aromatic.

💡
Why this is airtight: None; textbook mastery of organic basicity.
4 D
✗ Incorrect
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Scrambled order with aniline ahead of aliphatic amines.

⚠️
Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Total misunderstanding of amine basicity.
⚠️

NTA Trap Alert: Aniline vs N-Methylaniline Basicity Trap

Option 2 is identical to Option 3 except it places benzenamine ahead of N-methylaniline. Remember that the methyl group in N-methylaniline supplies electron density (+I effect), making N-methylaniline slightly MORE basic than aniline (pK_b 9.30 vs 9.38)!

🛡️ How to avoid the -1 mark: Electron donating groups on nitrogen increase basicity: N-methylaniline > Aniline!
📖

Core NEET Syllabus Standard

NEET Chemistry Core Syllabus · Amines Standard Benchmark
Core Scientific Principle Tested:

"Aliphatic amines are stronger bases than aromatic amines; ethyl amines follow 2° > 1°; +I groups increase aromatic amine basicity."

Syllabus Focus: Structure-Basicity Relationships of Amines
✓ Core NEET UG Syllabus Anchor Syllabus & Academic Standards ↗
Aliphatic beats Aromatic: 2° > 1° > N-methyl > Aniline (Option 3)!

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