Intermolecular Forces

Intermolecular forces are attractive forces between molecules.

(Example: water molecule to water molecule)
Intramolecular forces hold atoms together within in a molecule.
(Example: H to O bond within a water molecule).

Intermolecular vs Intramolecular
• 41 kJ to vaporize 1 mole of water (inter)
• 930 kJ to break all O-H bonds in 1 mole of water (intra)

“Measure” of intermolecular force

Generally,
boiling point
intermolecular
forces are much melting point
weaker than DHvap
intramolecular DHfus
forces.
DHsub 11.2
 Intermolecular Forces

1. London Forces (a.k.a. Dispersion Forces) Weakest

2. Dipole-Dipole Interactions

3. Ion-Dipole Interactions
-(Salt dissolving in solution; Na+ and Cl- )

4. Hydrogen Bonding (STRONGEST)

 London Dispersion Forces: Weakest
Occur between every compound and arise from the net attractive forces
amount molecules which is produced from induced charge imbalances
Figure 10-8 Olmsted Williams

The larger the molecule the greater

it’s Dispersion Forces are.

Animation:
http://chemmovies.unl.edu/ChemAnim
e/LONDOND/LONDOND.html Figure 10-9 Olmsted Williams
The boiling point of long molecules increase with the length of the
chain.

Olmsted Williams Fig 10-10 Pg 437

How molecular shape affects the strength of the dispersion forces

The shapes of the molecules also matter. Long thin molecules can
develop bigger temporary dipoles due to electron movement than short
fat ones containing the same numbers of electrons.

Butane has a higher boiling point because the dispersion forces are
greater.

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/bonding/vdw.html
 Polarizability
the ease with which the electron distribution in the atom or
molecule can be distorted.

Polarizability increases with:

• greater number of electrons
• more diffuse electron cloud

Dispersion
forces usually
increase with
molar mass.

11.2
 Is the Molecule Polar?

The more Electronegative atom will pull the electron density of the bond
Closer to itself giving it a partial negative charge leaving the other
Atom with a partially positive charge. This is a dipole moment.
 Molecules with 3 Atoms
Even though the C-O bond is polar, the bonds
CO2 cancel each other out because the molecule is
linear the dipole moments are equal and in
opposite directions.Therefore CO2 is non-polar.

The dipole moment between H-C points in

the direction of C. The dipole moment points
between C-N points in the direction of the N.
HCN Therefore the dipole vectors are additive and
HCN is polar

SO2 SO2 is a polar molecule because the S-O

dipole Moments don’t cancel each other out
due to the angle
 Molecules with 4 Atoms

CCl4 is non-polar

CHCl3 is polar
 How to Determine if a Molecule
Is Polar

1. Draw Lewis Structure

2. If all of the regions of electron density are

bound to the same thing (CCl4; CO2 ) than the
molecule is non-polar

3. If the regions of electron density are not bound to

the same thing (atom) than the molecule
is polar (HCN; SO2)
 Which of the following molecules are polar (have a
dipole moment)?H2O, CO2, SO2, and CH4

O S

dipole moment dipole moment

polar molecule polar molecule

H C H
O C O

no dipole moment H
nonpolar molecule no dipole moment
nonpolar molecule
10.2
 Dipole-Dipole Forces

Attractive forces between polar molecules

Orientation of Polar Molecules in a Solid

Animation: http://chemmovies.unl.edu/ChemAnime/DIPOLED/DIPOLED.html

11.2
 Dipole Forces occur between molecules containing a dipole moment.
The positive end of the dipole moment on one mole is attracted to the
Negative end of the dipole moment on a nearby molecule.

2-methyl propane
Figure 10-11
(left) and acetone (right)
Both compounds are about
Equal in size and shape

Olmsted Williams
 Ion-Dipole Forces

Attractive forces between an ion and a polar molecule

Ion-Dipole Interaction

The larger the charge the stronger the force

11.2
Olmsted Williams Fig 10-34

A molecular picture showing the ion-dipole

Interaction that helps a solid ionic crystal dissolve
in water. The arrows indicate ion-dipole interactions.
 What type(s) of intermolecular forces exist
between each of the following molecules?

HBr
HBr is a polar molecule: dipole-dipole forces. There are
also dispersion forces between HBr molecules.

CH4
CH4 is nonpolar: dispersion forces.
S
SO2
SO2 is a polar molecule: dipole-dipole forces. There are
also dispersion forces between SO2 molecules.
11.2
 The Hydrogen Bond
STRONGEST
INTERMOLECULAR
FORCE
http://chemmovies.unl.edu/ChemAnime/HYBOND/HYBONDD.html
Animation
 water has
water
water
thehashas
water
thehas
highest
water theheat
has highest
highest
the the
heat
lowest highest
of
of fusion
melting
molar vaporization
mass point
boiling point

The melting point, boiling point, heat of fusion and heat of

vaporization of water are extremely high and do not fit the
trend of properties relative to molar mass within Group
VIA.
Water exhibits these unusual properties
because of hydrogen bonding between
water molecules.
• A hydrogen bond is an intermolecular
bond.
• A hydrogen bond is formed between
polar molecules that contain hydrogen
covalently bonded to a small, highly
electronegative atom: F, O, N.

F—H
O—H
N—H
• it will be attracted to another F, O, or N, on
another molecule.

• A dipole-dipole bond bond will be

formed between the two molecules
which is called a hydrogen bond.
hydrogen
bond
covalent
bond
covalent
bond
 Water in the liquid and solid states exists as groups in
which the water molecules are linked together by
hydrogen bonds.

13.8