GENERAL TYPES OF

INTERMOLECULAR
FORCES OF
ATTRACTION
Atoms are held together in molecules
by strong intramolecular forces, like
covalent and ionic bonds. On the other
hand, other forms of attractive forces
are present to keep these molecules
together giving rise to the different
states of matter, which, then exhibit
their own bulk properties such as
boiling, melting, and freezing points,
and viscosity among others.
What type of attraction is involved
in this kind of attraction?
 THREE GENERAL TYPES OF
INTERMOLECULAR FORCES (IMF)

Ion – Dipole

Hydrogen
(H) – Bond
Van der
Waals
 VAN DER WAALS FORCES
after the Dutch chemist Johannes
van der Waals (1837-1923)
consist of
 dipole-dipole interaction,
 dipole-induced dipole
interaction
 dispersion forces
 DIPOLE-DIPOLE ATTRACTION
is present among polar molecules. Through
constant movement, the charges of the
molecules align in such a way that the
positive (+) end of one molecule is
attracted to the negative (-) end of the
other molecule.
 DIPOLE-INDUCED DIPOLE
 Between polar and non polar molecules.
 This gives rise to regions of partial (+)
and (-) poles. The other molecule then
becomes an induced dipole.
 LONDON DISPERSION FORCES
 Present between non polar molecules.
 The electron cloud of a neutral substance
can be normally distributed around the
nucleus.
All interacting substances
exhibit the presence of London
dispersion forces in addition to
other forces of attraction
among them.
IDENTIFY THE INTERMOLECULAR
FORCES PRESENT AMONG THE
FOLLOWING MOLECULE.

1. Chlorine gas (Cl2)

2. Carbon monoxide (CO)
3. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
4. Dichloromethane (CH2Cl2)
5. Dimethyl ether (CH3-O-CH3)
EFFECTS OF
INTERMOLECULAR
FORCES OF ATTRACTION
(IMFA) ON THE
PROPERTIES OF
SUBSTANCES
The chart below tells us of the relative strengths
of intermolecular forces. This can be used as
reference when the IMF is being related to the
properties of substances.
PROPERTIES OF SUBSTANCES AFFECTED
BY INTERMOLECULAR FORCES

Surface Tension
Viscosity
Boiling Point and Melting
point
Solubility
 SURFACE TENSION
 This is the amount of energy required to stretch
the surface area of liquids.
 Capillary action is the ability of liquid
molecules to move against gravity.
 The forces bringing about capillary action are
A. cohesion (intermolecular attraction
between like molecules) and
B. adhesion (an attraction between unlike
molecules.
* The stronger the intermolecular forces possessed
by molecules, the higher is the surface tension of
the substance.
 VISCOSITY
This is a measure of a liquid’s
resistance to flow. The greater
the viscosity of a liquid, the
more slowly it flows. The
viscosity of substances
decreases with high
temperatures; thus, syrup
flows faster when hot.
The strength of intermolecular
forces affects the ease with
which substances flow. Liquids
that have high intermolecular
forces are highly viscous. Also,
the presence of strong H-bonds
in some liquids makes these
substances highly viscous.
 BOILING POINT AND MELTING POINT
Boiling point depends on the
equilibrium vapor pressure exerted by
the liquid or solid above the liquid or
the solid. This means that the rate of
vaporization is equal to the rate of
condensation of the substance in a
closed container. Vapor pressure also
varies with temperature.
 The greater intermolecular forces
there are among molecules, the higher
is their boiling and melting point.
The strength of dispersion forces also
depends on the size of the molecules
of the substance or the number of
electrons in the molecules of the
substance. The ease with which the
electron distribution is distorted
explains the amount of dispersion
forces that a substance exhibits. The
distortion of the electron distribution
is known as polarizability.
 The greater the polarizability of the
electron distribution the greater are the
dispersion forces. When the dispersion
forces are high, the boiling and melting
points are also high.
Br2 and F2 are both diatomic gases.
They are also both nonpolar, but Br2 is a
bigger molecule than F2. The polarizability
of Br2 is greater than F2 so it has greater
dispersion forces. This explains why Br2 has
a higher boiling point than F2. Greater
amount of energy is needed to overcome the
big dispersion forces in Br2 than in F2.
SOLUBILITY
The amount of any substance
dissolved in a solvent (the
substance that dissolves another
substance) depends on the types
of interaction among molecules,
pressure, and temperature.
The rule “like dissolves like”
applies to solubility.
Water is often considered as a
universal solvent because of its
ability to dissolve almost
numerous substances. Remember
that water is incapable of
dissolving all solutes (especially
non polar substances), but water
has the ability to form H-bonds
with polar substances, and polar
substances abound in nature.
REFER TO THE PAIRS OF SUBSTANCES TO
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW.

a. NaCl (sodium chloride) and CH4 (methane)

b. CCl4 (carbon tetrachloride) and CHCl3
(trichloromethane or chloroform)
c. NH3 (ammonia) and CH3F (methyl fluoride)
d. PCL5 (phosphorus pentachloride) and PBr5
(phosphorus pentabromide)
e. C5H12 (pentane) and C5H12 (isopentane)
f. F2 (Fluorine) and Br2 (Bromine)
1. Identify the intermolecular forces
present in the substances in each pair.
2. Which of the forces predominates in
each substance?
3. Choose which substance will have
greater intermolecular forces of
attraction.
4. Predict which substance in each pair
will have higher boiling and melting
points.