Physical Properties of Organic

Compounds

Review of Intermolecular Forces of

Attraction (IFAs)
1. London Dispersion Forces

Review of Intermolecular Forces of

Attraction (IFAs)
2. Dipole-dipole Interaction

Review of Intermolecular Forces of

Attraction (IFAs)
3. H-bonding

Melting Point and Boiling Point

Boiling Point - the temperature at which the
liquid form
of compound
becomes a gas (vaporizes)
Melting Point - the temperature at which a
solid is
converted into a
liquid
Factors Affecting Boiling and Melting Points
1. Polarity of Molecule
- higher polarity, higher melting/boiling point

Trends in Boling and Melting Points

Factors Affecting Boiling and Melting Points
1. Polarity of Molecule

Trends in Boling and Melting Points

Factors Affecting Boiling and Melting Points
1. Polarity of Molecule

CH3 CH 2 CH3

H 2C

CH CH3

HC

2. Molecular Size/Weight
- Increase MW; increase in boiling/melting
point
Ex. ethanol, n-pentanol, n-hexanol

CH3

Trends in Boling and Melting Points

Factors Affecting Boiling and Melting Points
3. Branching
- Increase branching; decrease boiling/melting
point
- example: n-pentane vs. neopentane
4. Intramolecular H-bonding
- presence of intramolecular H-bonding
decreases boiling/melting point
- example: o-hydroxy benzoic acid vs. p-hydroxy
benzoic acid

Trends in Boling and Melting Points

Factors Affecting Boiling and Melting Points
5. Molecular symmetry
- Symmetrical molecules have lower boiling
point and higher melting point as compared
to unsymmetrical molecules
Cl
Cl

Cl

Cl

Trends in Boling and Melting Points

Factors Affecting Boiling and Melting Points
6. Polarizability
- indicates how readily an electron cloud can
be distorted

Trends in Solubility
Classification of Solvents
polar vs. nonpolar
protic vs. aprotic
Factors Affecting Solubility
1. Nature of the Solute

Trends in Solubility
Factors Affecting Solubility
2. Carbon-chain length
- increase C-chain length, decrease water
solubility

Trends in Solubility
Factors Affecting Solubility
3. Branching
- Presence increases water solubility
- n-butanol vs. tert-butyl alcohol
4. Intramolecular H-bonding
- Presence decreases water solubility
- example: o-hydroxy benzoic acid vs. p-hydroxy
benzoic acid

Examples: