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A Study of Intermolecular Forces of Attraction

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Sharmaine S. Bungabong Date Performed:

B-15L Date Submitted:
Group 1

A Study of Intermolecular Forces of Attraction

I. Introduction

Intermolecular attractions or IMFA are attractions between one molecule and a

neighbouring molecule. However, the forces of attraction which hold an individual molecule
together (ex. covalent bonds) are known as intramolecular attractions. All molecules experience
intermolecular attractions, although in some cases those attractions are very weak. Even in a
gas like hydrogen, H2, if you slow the molecules down by cooling the gas, the attractions are
large enough for the molecules to stick together eventually to form a liquid and then a solid.
Though Intermolecular attractions are weaker than covalent bonds but they are strong enough
to control physical properties such as boiling and melting points, vapor pressures, and
viscosities.

There are three types of intermolecular forces: London Dispersion forces, Dipole-dipole
forces and Hydrogen Bonding. These intermolecular forces as a group are referred to as van
der Waals Forces.

Being a polar molecule, Water contains all types of intermolecular forces of attraction. The
presence of strong intermolecular forces of attraction between water molecules renders water
properties that may be unusual such as surface tension, cohesion and adhesion. Water has a
high boiling point, high specific heat and high heat of vaporization indicating that
intermolecular forces between the water molecules are quite strong.

Polarity occurs when there is an uneven distribution of electrons in a molecule. This typically
happens if there are significant differences in the electronegativity within the elements in an
asymmetric molecule. General rules such as Like dissolve like and like charges repel and unlike
charges attract are applied in this experiment. It means a polar molecule that contains
permanent dipole moment only dissolves/attracts in polar solvent/ polar molecule; whereas a
nonpolar molecule will only dissolve/attract in nonpolar solvents/ nonpolar molecule.

The objectives of this discussion are:

1. to compare some physical properties of water with those of other liquids; and
2. to relate the differences in properties of the liquids to the types and strength of
intermolecular forces existing between molecules.

II. Materials

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A. Reagents:

Polyethylene Detergent
Kerosene Chunks of ice
Ethanol
Distilled Water

B. Apparatus

Three Burets Glass rod/ Plastic

Receiving vessel Waxed Paper
Woolen cloth and silk cloth 250-Ml beaker
Blade 1-liter graduated cylinder

III. Procedure

The experiment is divided into three parts: Part A is experiment for the reaction of
polyethylene rubbed in a woolen cloth and a glass rod rubbed in a silk cloth to the liquids,
water, kerosene and ethanol. Part B, for the identification of diff. shapes of water and kerosene
on a waxed paper and the observations when blade was placed on the surface of the liquid.
Part C, is about the effect of adding ice chunks to the final volume of the water.

In Part A, three burets was used containing distilled water, kerosene and ethanol, respectively.
A receiving vessel was placed under each buret. Then a polyethylene was rubbed in a woolen
cloth. A stream of water from the buret containing distilled water was flown downwards
towards the receiver. The newly rubbed polyethylene was drawn closer to the stream of liquid
about 2-3 cm from the tip of the buret. The same procedure was used for the two other liquids,
kerosene and ethanol. Afterwards, instead of the woolen cloth, a silk cloth was used and
rubbed against a glass rod or a piece of plastic. The charged object was placed near each stream
of liquid (water, kerosene and ethanol) in the same manner as that of polyethylene rubbed with
a woolen cloth. All observations were recorded in Table ____.

In Part B, some drops of water was placed on a piece of waxed paper and a few drops of
kerosene on a separate piece of waxed paper. Then, about 150-Ml water was placed in a 250-
Ml beaker where a blade was positioned horizontally just underneath the surface of the liquid.
Now, as the blade was retrieved, it was carefully placed horizontally on the surface of the
water. All observations were recorded in Table ___. The test was repeated with the blade but
this time using kerosene. Then, some detergent was added to the water in the first mixture.
Then, the blade was carefully placed horizontally on the surface of the soap mixture. All
observations were recorded in Table

In Part C, 400-Ml of water was poured in a 1-liter graduated cylinder. Medium-sized chunks of
ice were placed in the cylinder until the level of water reaches about 800 Ml. The total volume

of the ice and water was recorded. The system was allowed to stand until no ice remains inside
the cylinder.

IV. Data and Observations

V. Discussion

There are three phases of matter: solid, liquid and gas. The state a substance is in at a particular
temperature and pressure depends on two antagonistic entities: The kinetic energy (KE) of the
particles and The strength of the attractions between the particles. The attractions between
molecules are not nearly as strong as the intramolecular attractions that hold compounds
together. They are, however, strong enough to control physical properties such as boiling and
melting points, vapor pressures, and viscosities.

London dispersion forces, or dispersion forces, are attractions between an instantaneous dipole
and an induced dipole. These forces are present in all molecules, whether they are polar or
nonpolar. They can therefore act between molecules without permanent dipole moments. London
forces are exhibited by nonpolar molecules because of the correlated movements of the electrons in
interacting molecules Dipole Dipole forces is present in polar molecules that have permanent
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interacting molecules. Dipole-Dipole forces is present in polar molecules that have permanent
dipoles that are attracted to each other. The positive end of one is attracted to the negative
end of the other and viceversa. These forces are only important when the molecules are close
to each other. Hydrogen Bonding, is a special dipole-dipole interactions experienced when H is
bonded to N, O, or F are unusually strong due to the large difference in electronegativity. We
collectively call these forces Van der Waals forces. Among the three phases of matter, solid has
the greatest IMFA and gas the least.

In Part A, The polyethylene was rubbed with woolen cloth and accumulated negative charges.
While, the glass rod rubbed with silk cloth accumulated the positive charges. An attraction was
observed as the charged bodies were drawn closer to the streams of water(polar) and
alcohol(slightly polar), but no reaction with kerosene(nonpolar).

To understand what happened when a body or a glass rod develops a static charge by
rubbing against a cloth, the atoms that make up everything should be considered. All matter is
made up of atoms, which are themselves made up of charged particles. Atoms have a nucleus
consisting of neutrons and protons. They also have a surrounding "shell" that is made up
electrons. Typically, matter is neutrally charged, meaning that the number of electrons and
protons are the same. If an atom has more electrons than protons and if a material is more apt
to "capture" electrons when in contact with another material, it is negatively charged.
Whereas, if it has more protons than electrons and a material is more apt to give up electrons
when in contact with another material, it is positively charged.

By rubbing the glass rod, it caused electrons (which are negatively charged) to get stripped
off the atoms in the rod, leaving it with a net positive charge. The extra electrons are picked up
by the silk, giving it a negative charge. Same thing happens with the polyethylene rubbed

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