Types of Compounds and IMF Review

The different types of compounds in order of general melting point (Highest to Lowest)

1. Network Covalent Compounds (Quarts, SiO2…and Diamond)

2. Ionic Compounds
3. Metallic Elements and Alloys
4. Polar Covalent Compounds
5. Nonpolar Covalent Compounds

A substances melting point/ boiling point is determined by its structure!

1. The stronger the structure…the higher the melting point/boiling point

2. Ionic Compounds strength is determined by the size of the ions (smaller is stronger) and the
charge of the ions (higher magnitude is stronger)…Think Coulombs Law
3. For metals the more dense the metal the stronger (think heaving metals with small radii)
4. For Covalent compounds the strength is determined by IMFs!!!!

INTERMOLECULAR FORCES (IMFs)!!!!!

Strongest to Weakest
1. Hydrogen Bonding
2. Dipole-Dipole interactions
3. London Dispersion (instantaneous dipole)

ALL OF THESE ARE BASED ON THE POLARITY OF THE MOLECULE

In general substances that hydrogen bond are stronger than ones that don’t…In general substances that have a
dipole- dipole interaction are stronger than substances just have London dispersion forces…usually just
comparing substances with similar molar masses.

ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS!?!? Answer: YES of course…there are always exceptions.

Look at I2 and H2O…I2 is non polar and has only London dispersion forces. Water is polar and has hydrogen
bonding. Water is a liquid at room temperature and I2 is a solid…what does that mean? It means the London
dispersion in I2 is stronger than the hydrogen bonding in water. How can that be? I2 has 106 electrons…it is a
big molecule with many many many more electrons than water so the spontaneous polarizability of I2 outweighs
the permanent dipole-dipole (hydrogen bonding) of water!