KIM

Intermolecular Force POGIL (Day 3-4)

INTERMOLECULAR FORCES: THE FORCE BEHIND VARIOUS PROPERTIES

WHY?
Intermolecular forces are largely responsible for the properties of affinity, solubility, volatility, melting/
boiling point, and viscosity. Intermolecular forces explain why Teflon is non-stick, why maple syrup flows slowly,
how proteins fold and interact with other molecules, and why certain substances are gases, liquids, or solids.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Define and understand what an intermolecular force (IMF) is

• Observe and connect how the strength of an IMF is related to changes in variables in Coulomb’s law
• Define and understand what affinity/ solubility, boiling point/ volatility, viscosity are
• Observe and connect how molecular polarity, IMF strength, and aforementioned properties are related
• Explain how molecular polarity, IMF strength, and the aforementioned properties are related

MODEL 1: Introduction to Intermolecular Forces

• The term “INTERmolecular forces” is used to describe the forces of attraction
BETWEEN atoms, molecules, and ions when they are placed close to each other
(This is different from intramolecular forces, which is another word for covalent
bonds inside molecules).

•When two particles experience an intermolecular force, a positive (+) charge on

one particle is attracted to a negative (-) charge on the other particle.

•When intermolecular forces are strong, the atoms, molecules, or ions are strongly
attracted to each other, and draw closer together.

•When intermolecular forces are weak, the atoms, molecules, or ions do not attract
each other strongly, and move far apart.

Key Questions:

1. What is the difference between inter- and intra- molecular forces (in 10 words or less)?

2. What is the minimum number of molecules (or atoms, ions) needed for an intermolecular force?

3. When two particles experience an intermolecular force, how are the two particles attracted to each
other?
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4. Draw two CO molecules. Indicate how they would line up, and draw the intermolecular force as a dashed
line.

5. What would be easier to separate two molecules experiencing a strong intermolecular attraction or two
molecules experiencing a weak intermolecular attraction? Answer in a complete sentence.

Exercises:

6. What law governs the magnitude of the force of attraction between two oppositely charged substances?

7. According to this law, as the magnitude of charges increases, what happens to the strength of attraction?

8. What has a stronger force of attraction—ionic bonds or the intermolecular forces between two polar
molecules? EXPLAIN WHY.

9. According to this law, as the distance between charges increases, what happens to the strength of
attraction?

10. When two polar molecules are moved far apart from each other, what happens to the intermolecular
force between them? EXPLAIN WHY.

11. Intermolecular forces are nearly negligible in the gas phase. EXPLAIN WHY this is true.
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MODEL 2: Different types of particles
Different strength intermolecular forces
LONDON DISPERSION
FORCES (LDF) occur for ALL
substances with electrons,
but are the only force acting
on nonpolar particles.

LDF is the name of the

weakest type of IMF that
BULKIER substances with larger results from random or
electron clouds can make these induced electron
Covalently bonded
temporary dipoles more easily (i.e fluctuations, which create
NONPOLAR molecule
they are more polarizeable). Strength very small, temporary
of LDF increases when two molecules dipoles.
can polarize each other over a great
surface area.
Van der Waals Forces

DIPOLE-DIPOLE FORCES
occur when two polar
molecules are attracted to
each other. The dipoles in
polar molecules range are
permanent.

Covalently bonded
POLAR molecule Dipole-dipole forces are stronger than
LDF, and their strength is proportional
to the charges of the dipoles involved.
HYDROGEN BONDS are a
special subset of dipole-
dipole forces. Hydrogen
bonds involve molecules
with large electronegativity
differences (those that have
Covalently bonded
H-F, H-O, or H-N bonds),
POLAR molecule
which leads to dipoles with
with an H-F, H-O, or H-N bond in it
Hydrogen bonds are much stronger large partial charges.
than other dipole dipole forces
because the high polarity of the
molecules.

IONIC BONDS are

technically NOT an
intermolecular force, but
Ionic Bonding

they have similar features.

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Key Questions:

12. What is the same about all intermolecular forces? What is different?

13. What is the collective term for the intermolecular forces that affect neutral (non-charged) substances?

14. How do temporary, weak dipoles form in atoms and molecules that aren’t polar?

15. Compare the strength of these dipoles formed to those in polar molecules:

16. What type of molecule has a permanent dipole?

17. Would CO2 have dipole-dipole forces? Why or why not?

18. Why do polar compounds with H-F, H-O, and H-N bonds produce the strongest van der Waals forces?

Exercises:

19. Why are dipole-dipole forces typically stronger than London dispersion forces?

20. Why are dipole-dipole forces only about 1% the strength of ionic bonds?

21. Which substance would have greater London dispersion forces—F2 or I2? EXPLAIN.

22. What happens to the strength of intermolecular forces as polarity increases? EXPLAIN WHY.

23. Draw two H2O molecules. Indicate how they would line up, and draw the intermolecular force as a dashed
line. Is this attractive force stronger or weaker than the attraction between two CO molecules?

24. Rank the strength of the hydrogen bonds between HF, H2O, and NH3. Explain why you ranked them this
way.
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MODEL 3: Properties dependent upon intermolecular forces
Strong IMF Weak IMF

Property

Distance between molecules SMALL LARGE

Energy it take to separate LARGE SMALL
molecules
Affinity for other molecules like
itself
Volatility
Boiling/ melting point
Viscosity

Key Questions:

25. What is the difference, on a molecular level, between a gas, liquid, and solid?

26. Rank gas, liquid, and solid in order of increasing intermolecular forces.

27. To go from a liquid to a gas, then, what must happen?

28. To go from a liquid to a solid, then, what must happen?

29. If there are many intermolecular forces, does the total energy required to disrupt them increase or
decrease?

Exercises:

30. Give the following definitions for the properties, fill in the rest of the table with large/ small or low/ high.
•Affinity-attraction
•Volatility-is the ease with something becomes a gas
•Boiling point-is the temperature at which liquid turns to the gas
•Melting point-is the temperature at which liquid turns to a solid
•Viscosity-resistance to flow.
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31. Rank the boiling points of HF, H2O, and NH3 from lowest to highest. Explain.

32. Would you want a perfume to have high or low intermolecular forces? Why or why not?

33. A textbook states: “Most substances consisting of small molecules are gases at normal temperatures and
pressures. Examples are O2, N2, CH4, and CO2. A notable exception to this rule is water.” Using the
examples, explain how the physical state observed is related to the intermolecular forces of attraction in
each compound.

34. Pancake syrup is highly viscous. What does this say about the type of intermolecular forces it has—are
they strong or weak? What could you do to make it flow better (simple kitchen trick)?

35. Gasoline is very volatile. What does this say about the type of intermolecular forces it has? What kind of
compound (polar, nonpolar, etc.) make up gasoline?

Problems:

36. It was mentioned before that the strength of LDF is related to

the surface area of the points of contact between two
molecules. Would a linear or branched alkane have greater LDF? Which would have a higher
melting point?

37. Teflon’s major component is a polymer of linked CF4 units—what feature of fluorine makes even London
dispersion forces between Teflon and anything else very, very weak? (Note: A gecko can’t “stick” to
Teflon!)

38. Hydrogen bonds help dictate the

way that proteins, such as
enzymes fold, and also
sometimes play a significant role
in the way proteins interact with
other substances (e.g. enzymes
with substrates). In the diagram
to the right, what would happen
to the active site of
chymotrypsin if His 57 were
replaced by an amino acid with
a nonpolar amino acid residue?