KINETIC MOLECULAR MODEL
assumes the shape of its container.
Postulates of Kinetic Molecular of Solids and Liquids
Postulate – means a thing suggested or assumed as true
as the basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief.
1. Matter is made of particles that are constantly in
motion. This energy in motion is called kinetic
energy.
 This is true in both solids and liquids. Even
the solid particles move, but not very far.
2. The amount of kinetic energy in substance is
related to its temperature.
 Temperature and kinetic energy are related
to each other, they are directly proportional.
If the temperature is high, it means that the
kinetic energy is also high.
 In case of solids and liquids, liquid particles
have more kinetic energy since they can
freely flow.
3. There is a space between particles. The amount
of space in between particles is related to the
substance’ state of matter.
 Again, this is true in both solids and liquids.
Even the solid particles have spaces between
but only very limited as compared to gases.
4. Phase changes happen when the temperature of
the substances changes sufficiently.
 A phase change is when matter changes
from one state to another.
5. There are attractive forces in between particles
called intermolecular forces. The strength of
those forces increases as particles get closer
together.
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 Liquids and solids are quite different story
compared to gases. The principal difference
between the condensed states (solids and
liquids) and the gaseous state is the distance
between the molecules.
 In a liquid, the molecules are close together
that there is a very little empty space.
Liquids are much more difficult to compress
than gases, and they are much denser under
normal conditions. Molecules in a liquid are
held together by one or more types of
attractive forces.
 A liquid also has a definite volume, because
molecules in a liquid do not break away
from attractive forces. The molecules can,
however, move past one another freely, and
so a liquid can flow, can be poured, and
 In a solid, molecules are held rigidly in
position with virtually no freedom of
motion. Many solids are characterized by
long-ranged order; that is, the molecules are
arranged in regular configurations in three
dimensions. There is even less empty space
in a solid than a liquid. Thus, solids are
almost incompressible and possess definite
shape and volume.
INTERMOLECULAR FORCES OF ATTRACTION
Intramolecular Forces – are the forces that hold atoms
together within a molecule.
Intermolecular Forces – are the forces that exist
between molecules.
 Smallest particle of an element that takes part in
a chemical change (ATOM)
 Smallest particle of a compound that carries the
properties of a substance (MOLECULE)
 Positively charged ion (CATION)
 Negatively charged ion (ANION)
 Diatomic molecules containing atoms of
different elements (POLAR)
 Diatomic molecules containing atoms of the
same element (NONPOLAR)
Intermolecular forces are attractive forces that act
between molecules or particles in the solid or liquid
states. Generally, these attractive forces are much weaker
than bonding forces.
TYPES OF INTERMOLECULAR FORCES OF
ATTRACTION
1. Ion – dipole is an attractive force that results
from the electrostatic attraction between an ion
and a neutral molecule that has a dipole. Most
commonly found in solutions. A positive ion
attracts the partially negative end of a neutral
polar molecular.
2. Hydrogen bonding is a special kind of dipole-
dipole that occurs specially between hydrogen
atom bonded to either fluorine, oxygen, or
nitrogen atom. Hydrogen just wanna have FON.
The partially positive end of hydrogen is
attracted to the partially negative end of the
fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen of another
molecule. Hydrogen bonding is a relatively
strong force of attraction between molecules,
and considerable energy is required to break
hydrogen bonds.
3. Dipole-dipole are attractive forces between the
positive end of one polar molecule to the
negative end of another polar molecule.
 4. London Dispersion Forces is the weakest in the
intermolecular forces and exist in all types of
molecules, whether ionic or covalent – polar or
nonpolar. The more electrons a molecule has, the
stronger the LDF’s are.
PROPERTIES OF LIQUIDS AND
INTERMOLECULAR FORCES
Properties of Molecules
 Depend on the type of and strength of their
intermolecular forces of attraction (IMFA)
2. It has high specific heat which requires large
1. Solubility refers to the ability of substance to be
dissolved in a given amount of solvent.
LIKE DISSOLVES LIKE
2. Phases of Molecules at Room Temperature
 When molecules have strong intermolecular
forces, they are packed close together.
 When molecules have weak intermolecular
forces, they are apart from each other.
3. Melting Point – temperature at which substance
changes from solid to liquid.
4. Boiling Point – temperature at which substance
changes from liquid to gas
5. Surface Tension – the tendency of the fluid to
acquire the least possible surface area.
6. Viscosity – is the resistance of fluids to flow. A
substance that flows readily has low viscosity.
Viscosity is a measure of the substance’s
intermolecular force of attraction. If the IMFA is
strong, the liquid will have high viscosity
because it will have high resistance against
flowing. The greater the IMFA, the higher the
viscosity, and the less readily the liquid flows.
Temperature also affects viscosity. The higher
the temperature, the lower the liquids viscosity.
7. Vapor Pressure – the vapor pressure of a liquid
is the pressure of the vapor resulting from
evaporation of a liquid above a sample of the
liquid in a closed container.
PROPERTIES OF WATER
1. It has high boiling point and exists as liquid at
room temperature.
 Water has a high boiling point because its
molecules are bound together by hydrogen
bonding, which is a very strong
intermolecular force. It takes more kinetic
energy, or a higher temperature, to break the
hydrogen bonding between water molecules,
thus allowing them to escape as steam.
 Boiling point of a liquid involves increasing
the kinetic energy of the molecules by
increasing the temperature of the liquid. As
the molecules gain more kinetic energy, they
are able to escape the intermolecular forces
that hold them together as a liquid and
become gaseous molecules.
 Each water is polar because the oxygen has
a partial negative charge, while the hydrogen
atoms have a partial positive charge. The
partial negative charge of one water
molecule exerts a strong attractive force
over the partial positive charge of a different
water molecule.
amount of heat before it vaporizes.
 Water has a high capacity because a lot of
heat energy is required to break the
hydrogen bonds found in a molecule of
water. Because the majority of heat energy is
concentrated on breaking the hydrogen
bonds, the water molecule itself heats up
after the bonds are broken.
 Once the hydrogen bonds in a water
molecule are heated up enough to break, the
additional heat energy can then be imparted
to the water molecule itself. This additional
heat energy then vibrates the water
molecule, allowing it to bump into nearby
water molecules to distribute the heat energy
imparted by a heat source.
 Just as significant energy is required to
break the hydrogen bonds in a water
molecule, significant energy is likewise
required to re-form them. Only when the
water molecule achieves a low enough
temperature to allow the hydrogen bonds to
re-form does the water molecule release the
heat energy. This process of warming and
cooling explains why water slowly heats up
cool down.
3. It is the only substance that contracts when
cooled because of its more open structure in the
solid form. The density of ice is less than liquid
water, hence, it floats on water.
 When a liquid is cooled, more and more
molecules are brought closer together and
need to be accommodated in a smaller area.
This gives most solids more density than
their liquid form. However, in the case of
water, the negatively-charged oxygen atoms
repel each other (when brought together in a
smaller space) to prevent the ice from
becoming any denser.
4. It has high heat of vaporization. This causes a
large drop in temperature during evaporation.
 Due to hydrogen bonding, water molecules
cling to each other (cohesion) and remain in
liquid state under temperatures that are
favorable to plants and other living
organisms. Liquid water has a boiling
temperature of 100°C and freezes at 0°C at 1
atmospheric pressure. When it boils, the
hydrogen bonds are broken and the
molecules separate from each other. But
without these hydrogen bonds, water will
boil at temperature of -80°C and freeze at -
100°C (Mader 1993).
5. It has a high surface tension.
 This results in a stronger bond between
those molecules that actually do come in
contact with one another, and a layer of
strongly bonded water (see diagram).
 This surface layer (held together by surface
tension) creates a considerable barrier
between the atmosphere and the water. In
fact, other than mercury, water has the
greatest surface tension of any liquid.