AP Chemistry

Advanced Placement Chemistry exploring atomic structure, chemical bonding, and reactions.

Advanced Topics

Intermolecular Forces

Forces Between Molecules

Intermolecular forces (IMFs) are weak attractions between molecules that affect physical properties like boiling and melting points, solubility, and evaporation.

Types of Intermolecular Forces

  • London Dispersion Forces: Weakest; present in all molecules.
  • Dipole-Dipole Interactions: Between polar molecules.
  • Hydrogen Bonding: Strong type of dipole interaction, occurs when H is bonded to N, O, or F.

Impact on Properties

Stronger IMFs mean higher boiling/melting points. Water's high boiling point is due to hydrogen bonding!

Everyday Connections

  • Water beads up on a car because of hydrogen bonding.
  • Butter is solid at room temperature due to weak London forces between its molecules.

Examples

  • Ice floats because of hydrogen bonding in water.

  • Perfume evaporates quickly due to weak London dispersion forces.

In a Nutshell

Intermolecular forces determine many physical properties of substances.

Key Terms

Hydrogen Bond
A strong attraction between hydrogen and N, O, or F atoms in nearby molecules.
Dipole
A molecule with a partial positive and negative end.
Intermolecular Forces - AP Chemistry Content | Practice Hub