Chemistry 121: Experiment 5

Intermolecular Forces
Materials
Balloon
5 mL mineral oil
test tube with screw cap
oil based dye
water
food coloring (optional)
paperclip

Safety Precautions
Mineral oil does not pose a known safety hazard. Safety Data Sheet for Mineral Oil.

Dye: both the oil based dye and the optional food coloring are food grade dyes that do not pose a safety
hazard.

Balloons are a choking hazard for children under the age of 8.

Objectives
• Observe the surface tension of water compared to a non polar solvent.
• Investigate how polar solvents interact with a charged balloon.
• Investigate the solubility of water & oil by making a lava lamp.
• Explore the solubility of common household compounds in water and oil.
• Investigate the effect of soap on dyed milk.

Tasks:
1) Read the Introduction of the lab. The information contained in the introduction will help you answer the
questions at the end of the lab.
2) In this lab part A & B will be completed at home. Use the provided procedure and materials from your lab kit to
perform the experiment. Record your observations in the Experiment 5 Student Worksheet
3) Part C & D will be completed by watching videos and recording observations in the Experiment 5 Student
Worksheet. If you have the materials on hand at home you may try part C & D as well, there are no safety
hazards associated with the procedure.
4) Once all questions are answered, convert the completed Experiment 5 Student Worksheet into a pdf file and
submit to your instructor on canvas.
Criteria for Success

Lab 5 Grading Rubric

Good faith effort is made to answer all questions, and complete
each table.
General
At least 85% of all answers are correct
Criteria
It is clear from student answers they watched the linked lab
videos
Answer each question and complete both tables
Q1 answers can be incorrect if Q2 answers demonstrate an
Part A
understanding of the effect of IMFs on physical properties was
developed through the lab procedure.
Include a picture of the lava lamp made in a testube if you had
Part B
the materials available.
Complete the table, predictions do not need to match
Part C observations. But students are required to reflect on the
differences between the two.
Record observations in the table and use the observations along
Part D
with knowledge of IMFs to answer question 11.

Introduction

This lab will explore the solubility of some large molecules, which are often drawn omitting carbon and hydrogen.
Please review the section of Appendix C that describes how Lewis dot structures are drawn in an abbreviated form.

Intermolecular Forces
The structure of a molecule informs how it will interact with other molecules. Overall polarity, the presence of H-F, H-N,
or H-O bonds, the size, the shape, and the charge all dictate the intermolecular forces that will exist between molecules.
The more intermolecular forces that exist, the stronger the interactions. The phase of the substance (solid, liquid, and
gas) affect how close the molecules are to one another. The closer the molecules the stronger the interactions.
Intermolecular forces are listed below in order of increasing strength.

London Dispersion Forces
(weakest IMF)
Dipole-Dipole Interactions
Hydrogen Bonding
Ion-Dipole Interactions
(strongest IMF)
These exist between all molecules (with an electron cloud). This
interaction arises from temporary and spontaneous dipole moments
that are created when electrons from one molecule come close to
electrons, and repel them, in another molecule.
These exist only between molecules that have overall dipole moments.
The partial positive end of a molecule will align with the partial
negative end of another molecule.
These exist only between molecules with H-F, H-N, and H-O bonds.
The Hydrogen atom has a large partial positive charge and the F, N, or
O has a large partial negative charge and lone pairs that are capable of
interacting with the large partial positive charge of a Hydrogen on
another molecule.
These exist in mixtures when a cation interacts with the partial
negative end of a polar molecule or an anion interacts with the partial
positive end of a polar molecule.
IMFs in Pure Compounds and in Solutions
This lab will include a comparison of the physical properties of two pure substances. The differences in boiling point,
surface tension, viscosity, and interaction with charged particles will depend on the intermolecular forces that exist
between molecules of the same compound. This lab will investigate water and hexane.

When two different compounds are mixed together their miscibility, or solubility, is dependent on the intermolecular
forces that form between the mixing molecules, and the intermolecular forces that must be broken between molecules
of the pure substances. Miscible compounds will mix homogenously in any proportion, forming a uniform solution,
whereas immiscible compounds will form heterogeneous mixtures, and will not blend together uniformly. To predict if
two compounds will be miscible, or soluble, compare their intermolecular forces. If their IMFs are similar then they will
mix to form a uniform solution. If their IMFs are very different then mixing would necessitate the loss of stronger IMFs
to form weaker IMFs, if this is unfavorable enough a solution will not form. An example is shown below of miscible
solvents: water and ethanol. They can interact through dipole-dipole interactions, hydrogen bonding, and London
dispersion forces.

Image Credit: Prof. Patricia Shapley, U of Illinois 2011

This is often summarized as “like dissolves like.” Polar compounds will have dipole moments that can interact through
dipole-dipole IMFs and so will be similar enough to form a homogenous solution. Whereas a nonpolar compound will
not be able to form dipole-dipole interactions with a polar compound, and so the two will mix heterogeneously.

Fat and Water Soluble Nutrients

In the body nutrients are either water soluble if they contain many polar groups or fat (ie, lipid) soluble if they are
nonpolar. This lab will test the solubility of a variety of nutrients in water and in a fat (oil). Each nutrient will dissolve in
the solvent that best matches its own intermolecular forces, or like will dissolve like. The nutrients that will be tested are
shown below (abbreviated molecular structures are reviewed in Appendix C).

Citric Acid Sugar

Vitamin E Isopropyl Alcohol

NOTE: Isopropyl Alcohol is not food, but it is a common household substance. Also called rubbing-alcohol, it is used as
a topical antiseptic. Do not drink it, it would be very intoxicating and could lead to severe health issues and even
death.

The digestive system uses water to move food through the stomach, small and large intestine. Water soluble nutrients
are then readily absorbed into the blood stream, where the solvent is again water. Fats and fat soluble nutrients, like
non-polar vitamins, are not miscible with water. Your body emulsifies the fat into smaller droplets, then utilizes micelles
to transport the nonpolar nutrients to the absorptive walls of the intestines.1 Micelles are a group of molecules with
both a polar end and a non-polar end. The molecules aggregate to create a polar surface that interacts with water and a
nonpolar center that can dissolve nonpolar compounds.

Sodium stearate, a soap.

Micelle

A molecule with a polar and nonpolar end is referred to as a surfactant. The polar head of the molecule will have similar
IMFs with water and will be soluble in water. While the nonpolar tail of the molecule will not be soluble in water and will
interact with other nonpolar tails of surfactant molecules. These intermolecular forces create micelles that help us
digest fat soluble nutrients.

1
Lecture notes, conjoint 401 developed by Dr. Tom Linder and Dr. Anna Melby, U of Washington
Procedure

Part A: Intermolecular Forces & Physical Properties of Solvents

Your task is to test the effects of different intermolecular forces that exist between solvent molecules on physical
properties: boiling point and surface tension.

Surface Tension
To try this experiment at home you will need: a small paper clip, a glass full of water and optionally, tweezers.

1. Using a pair of tweezers carefully place a small dry paperclip (one can be found in your lab kit) on the surface of the
water in the glass.

2. Record your observations. Does the paperclip sink, float in the middle of the beaker, or float on the surface of the
solvent? If they sink dry them and try to make them float one more time to confirm your observation.

3. Watch this video to confirm your observations for water and to hear what would be observed in the case of hexane:
https://youtu.be/VA8qpymoVHw

Boiling Point
Both boiling points for water and hexane have been provided for you.

Solvents interacting with a Balloon

When a balloon is rubbed on clothing it accumulates additional negative charge (electrons), ie, static electricity. This
experiment will test how solvents interact with the negatively charged balloon.

1. From your lab kit obtain a balloon, blow it up and rub it on your cloths.

2. Turn on a faucet and run a small stream of water. Try to create a stream of water that is as small as possible without
becoming water drops.

3. Hold the balloon 1 -2 cm away from the stream of water without letting the balloon touch it. Record your
observations.

4. Watch this video to confirm your observations for water and to hear what would be observed in the case of hexane:
https://youtu.be/DUuzmGprFQ0

Part B: Water and Fat Solubility, or making a lava lamp

Your task is to explore the solubility of water and a fat with one another.

1. From your lab kit obtain the 10 mL vial that contains 5 mL of mineral oil that has been dyed with an oil soluble dye. If
you have food coloring at home you may want to use it in this experiment, be sure to choose a color that is different
from the oil dye.

2. Add about 4 mL of water to the vial (leave some air space). Optionally add a drop of food coloring.

3. Screw the cap firmly on the vial again. Record your observations initially and after shaking the vial.

4. Take a picture of your lava lamp to embed in the student worksheet.

5. Watch this video to confirm your observations: https://youtu.be/ey3O7cdt6TI

Part C: Solubility of biological compounds or common household substances
This experiment will test the solubility of different compounds in water or oil (a fat).

1. First using only the molecules’ structures and polarity (introduction), predict which solvent each molecule will
dissolve in. Write your answers in Table 2A.

2. Watch these videos that demonstrate the solubility of different household items. Record your observations in the
Experiment 5 Student Worksheet.
a. Solubility of salt: https://youtu.be/fdlfKjnPijs
b. Solubility of sugar: https://youtu.be/O4556_WAC4s
c. Solubility of lemon juice (citric acid): https://youtu.be/J8naZqtzgcc
d. Solubility of isopropyl alcohol: https://youtu.be/DbxAn2r-ghk
e. Solubility of vitamin E: https://youtu.be/6kxs2ycq5fE

If you would like to try this experiment at home you will need: three small spoons, toothpicks, water, vegetable oil;
substances to be tested: table salt, sugar, lemon juice, rubbing alcohol, vitamin E. If you only have some of the
substances to be tested, but not all of them, just do the experiment with what you have.

3. Hold two spoons with one hand such that they rest next to each other on a counter/table. Fill a third of one spoon
with water, and fill a third of the other spoon with vegetable oil.

4. Using the third spoon, add 2-4 grains of table salt (sodium chloride NaCl) to the spoon of water and the same
amount to the spoon of oil. Does the NaCl dissolve after stirring with a toothpick? Record your observations.

5. Repeat step 2 to test the solubility of the below compounds in water and oil:
a. Add 5 grains of sugar
b. Add 5 drops of lemon juice (citric acid)
c. Add 5 drops of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
d. Add 5 drops of Vitamin E

6. Dispose of spoons of oil in the organic waste container if you compost at home. The spoons of water can be
disposed of in the sink.

Part D: Dyed milk experiment

1. Watch this video demonstration of the experiment: https://youtu.be/sxt-j76TzAQ

If you would like to try this experiment at home you will need: two bowls, water, whole milk, food coloring, Q-tips, hand
soap. The food coloring is not optional this time. You can try to use beet juice by keeping the water after steaming
red beets. The experiment will also work best with whole milk versus 2% milk versus 1% milk: the fatter, the better.

2. Fill one bowl with whole milk to have 1 to 2 cm in liquid height. Fill the other bowl the same way with water.

3. Place several drops of food coloring spaced out near the center of each dish. Record your observations about how
the dye interacts with the milk and with the water.

4. Wet a q-tip with water and then dip it into the center of each dish. Record any observations about how the dye and
water or milk interact with each other. Be sure not to stir the mixture at all.

5. Coat a q-tip with hand soap and then dip it into the center of each dish. Record any observations about how the dye
and water or milk interact with each other.

6. Milk, water, soap, and dye can be disposed of by rinsing down the sink.
Student Name:

Experiment 5: Intermolecular Forces: Student Worksheet

PART A: Intermolecular Forces & Physical Properties of Solvent

Q1. Below list the intermolecular forces (IMFs) of each molecule, and determine which will have the strongest overall
IMFs.
a. Water, H2O, list of intermolecular forces:

<type answer here>

b. Hexane, C6H14 list of intermolecular forces:

<type answer here>

c. Which molecule has the strongest overall intermolecular forces? <type answer here>

Q2. Follow the procedure in part A and fill in table 1A and 2A below. Videos can be seen here:
Paperclip: https://youtu.be/VA8qpymoVHw Balloon: https://youtu.be/DUuzmGprFQ0

Table 1A: Record your observations below as you test the surface tension of water with a paperclip.
Physical Property Water H2O Hexane C6H14

Surface Tension

Boiling Point 100°C 68°C

a. Which molecule has a stronger surface tension? <type answer here>

b. Is the molecule with the highest surface tension also the molecule with the highest boiling point? Use
intermolecular forces to explain why this correlation does, or does not exist.

<type answer here>

Table 1B: Record your observations below as each solvent is poured near a charged balloon.
Water H2O Hexane C6H14

c. Explain WHY the water stream behaves like observed when a negatively charged balloon is approached:

<type answer here>

d. Explain WHY the behavior of a hexane stream would be different:

<type answer here>

PART B: Water & fat solubility, or making a lava lamp.

Follow the procedure for part B. Take a picture of the test tube lava lamp you create and embed the picture in this
document.

<embed a picture of your lava lamp here>

Q3. Describe the behavior you observed when the lava lamp was shaken, and when it was allowed to sit still. Using these
observations as evidence answer the question: is water soluble in mineral oil?

<type answer here>

PART C: Solubility of biological compounds or common household substances.

Q4. Watch the videos about solubility and record your observations in Table 2A.
a. Solubility of salt: https://youtu.be/fdlfKjnPijs Compl
b. Solubility of sugar: https://youtu.be/O4556_WAC4s
c. Solubility of lemon juice (citric acid): https://youtu.be/J8naZqtzgcc
d. Solubility of isopropyl alcohol: https://youtu.be/DbxAn2r-ghk
e. Solubility of vitamin E: https://youtu.be/6kxs2ycq5fE

Table 2A: Record your predictions first then your observations about the solubility of each compound.
Solubility Prediction Water Solubility Oil Solubility
Compound
(water or fat Soluble) Observations Observations

Sodium chloride,
NaCl

Sugar, C12H22O11

Citric Acid (lemon

juice)

Isopropyl Alcohol

Vitamin E
Q5. In this part of the lab, you tested the solubility of different substances together. How did you know experimentally
that the two substances were soluble together? For instance, how did you know if a solid was soluble in a liquid? And
how did you know if two liquids were soluble together?

<type answer here>

Q6. What is the adjective used to describe a mixture of substances soluble together? <type answer here>

Q7. What is the adjective used to describe a mixture of substances insoluble together? <type answer here>

Q8. In Table 2A, you theoretically predicted if some biological compounds will be water or fat soluble based on their
Lewis structures and polarity only. What basic rule of solubility did you use? Explain how you decided that a substance
was water soluble? And explain how you decided that a substance was fat soluble?

<type answer here>

Q9. Compare these predictions to your observations in Part 2 B of the lab: Are there any differences between the
predictions and observations of compound solubility in Part 2 B? If so, offer an explanation and either a revision to your
prediction or a source of error in the experiment.

<type answer here>

PART D: Dyed milk experiment.

Q10. Watch the video, https://youtu.be/sxt-j76TzAQ or attempt this experiment with materials found in your home.
Then record your observations in table 2B.

Table 2B: Record your observations after adding food coloring and touching the mixture with a wet q-tip and with a
soapy q-tip.

In Water In Milk

Adding Food
Coloring

After Adding
Wet Q-tip

After Adding
Soapy Q-tip
Q11. Consider how soap interacted with the whole milk and the water soluble dye. A image of a soap molecule is shown
below.

a. Which part of the soap molecule do you think water will interact with? What intermolecular forces exist
between the water and the part of the soap molecule it is interacting with?

<type answer here>

b. Which part of the soap molecule do you think the milk fat will interact with? What intermolecular forces exist
between the fat (nonpolar large molecule) in the milk and the part of the soap molecule it is interacting with?

<type answer here>