Experiment Title: Investigating Intermolecular Forces

Objective: To explore and understand intermolecular forces by conducting simple

experiments with common household materials.
Materials:
1. 1 Liter Water
2. ½ kilo of Vegetable oil
3. 500 ml Rubbing alcohol
4. ¼ kilo of Salt
5. ¼ kilo of Sugar
6. 9 Small transparent containers or cups
7. 6 Stirring sticks or spoons
8. Food coloring (optional)
9. Paper towels/Tissues
10. Small Paper Clips
11. Pen and paper for recording observations
Experiment 1: Solubility in Different Liquids
1. Fill three containers with equal amounts of water, vegetable oil, and rubbing
alcohol.
2. Add a small amount of salt to each container and stir until the salt dissolves.
Record your observations for each liquid.
3. Repeat step 2, but this time add sugar instead of salt. Record your observations.
4. Discuss your findings and make notes on the solubility of salt and sugar in each
liquid. Relate your observations to the intermolecular forces present in each
substance. (Attach pictures to your findings).
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5. Guide questions on the Solubility Experiment:
1. What differences did you observe in the solubility of salt and sugar in
water, vegetable oil, and rubbing alcohol?
 2. Explain the kind of intermolecular forces exhibited in each substance used
in the experiment.
3. Which liquid exhibited the strongest intermolecular forces based on
solubility, and why?
Experiment 2: Surface Tension
1. Fill a small container with water.
2. Carefully place a small paper clip on the water's surface. Observe whether the
object floats or sinks.
3. Repeat the process with rubbing alcohol and vegetable oil.
4. Record your observations and discuss how surface tension varies in different
liquids. Relate your findings to the intermolecular forces at play. (Attach pictures
to your findings).
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5. Guided Questions on Surface Tension Experiment:
1. What happened to the paperclip or coin when placed on the surface of
water, vegetable oil, and rubbing alcohol?
2. Explain the kind of intermolecular forces exhibited in each substance used
in the experiment.
3. Which liquid demonstrated the highest surface tension, and how might this
be connected to its molecular properties?
Experiment 3: Evaporation Rates
1. Pour 100 ml of equal amounts of water, vegetable oil, and rubbing alcohol into
separate containers.
2. Place the containers under the sun for 3 side by side and observe the rate at which
each liquid evaporates.
3. Record your observations and discuss how the intermolecular forces affect the
evaporation rates of the different liquids. (Attach pictures to your findings).
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 4. Guided Question on Evaporation Rates Experiment:
1. How did the evaporation rates of water, vegetable oil, and rubbing alcohol
compare?
2. Explain the kind of intermolecular forces exhibited in each substance used
in the experiment.
3. Can you connect the observed differences in evaporation rates to the
strength of intermolecular forces in each substance?

Conclusion: Summarize your findings and discuss the role of intermolecular forces in the
observed phenomena. Consider how the properties of substances (solubility, surface
tension, and evaporation rates) can be explained by the strength and type of
intermolecular forces present.
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References:
Appendix: Documentation/Pictures. Label each photo: