INTERMOLECULAR FORCES

by Ara Gonzaga

Hello, welcome back to another episode of CHEMISTRY WITH DOC ARA!

And for today’s video, we’re going to talk about intermolecular forces, well you might also hear that as
IMF’S.
But in order to talk about Intermolecular forces, it’s crucial to know first the difference between an
INTERMOLECULAR FORCE AND INTRAMOLECULAR FORCE.
Let us elucidate this point right here, and I’m going to start with
INTRAMOLECULAR FORCES
Well, this video isn’t about intramolecular forces but let us have a brief recap.
INTRAMOLECULAR forces are basically the forces that hold atoms together within a molecule.
Let’s have an example so here’s a water molecule and in a water molecule, Oxygen is bonded to two
hydrogen atoms. These bonds between the atoms are called INTRA meaning within the molecule.
That is not what we’re talking about today, what we’re talking about today is INTERMOLECULAR
FORCES.
INTERMOLECULAR forces are the forces that mediate interaction between molecules.
So, between this molecule and this molecule right here, there is an attraction, that is what forces are, two
waters are attracted and this is the intermolecular between two molecules.
Now, remember that when a liquid turn into a gas, those intermolecular forces break and now a water
molecule is free to go off as a gas and when a solid melt into a liquid, those intermolecular forces weaken
and allow it now to be more into a fluid liquid like substance. Remember the misconception is sometimes
we think that atoms break apart in phase changes and that is not true.
Some stuff we have to know before we get in those forces is about the polarity of the molecules.
If it is a polar molecule, electrons are not shared evenly. In polar molecules, somebody’s hogging the
electrons on the even sharing.
For instance, water is a polar molecule in view of the fact that its electrons are not shared evenly. Oxygen
is hogging the electrons more than the hydrogen’s because it has the negative sign over here, now it’s not
completely negative since there still a sharing going on, they’re still attached.
In order to show that oxygen is hogging those electrons, we show an arrow pointing in the direction of
where the electrons are being hogged with a little positive sign at the bottom showing the positive end.
This side of the water molecules more positively charged besides more negatively charged, this is called a
DIPOLE MOMENT.
Now that we know what polar molecule is, let us proceed with the non-polar molecule.
Non-polar basically that means that you have even sharing so it is contrary with the polar molecule.
Let’s get into our intermolecular forces, we’re going to talk about how to identify intermolecular forces
present in a molecule. I have here a schematic diagram that would probably grease the wheels in
understanding and recognizing intermolecular forces.
Well first things first is we should look if there are ions and polar molecules present.
 If there are presence of ions probably it has either ion-dipole force or ion-induced force.
 If there are ions and polar molecules present as well, then it is called an Ion-dipole force.
 If there are ions present but doesn’t have the presence of any polar molecules, then it is an Ion-
induced force.
However
 If there is an absence of ion but has polar molecules present, well, it is precisely a Hydrogen
bonding, a dipole-dipole force or a dipole-induced dipole force.
 If there is an absence of ion and has the absence of polar molecules as well, then it is known as
London Dispersion force.
Second thing that we are going to look for is if the Hydrogen atom is bonded to Nitrogen, Fluorine or an
Oxygen atom.

 If there is an absence of ion, there are polar molecules present, and Hydrogen atoms are bonded
to Nitrogen (N), Fluorine (F), or Oxygen (O) atoms, then it is a Hydrogen Bond.
 But if there is an absence of ion, there are polar molecules present, but Hydrogen atoms aren’t
bonded to any of the three special atoms, it could possibly be a dipole-dipole force or a dipole-
induced dipole force.
For us to be able to differentiate both forces where Hydrogen atoms are not bonded to any of the special
atoms,
the last thing we should look for is their distortion of electron clouds.

 If there is an absence of ion, there are polar molecules present, Hydrogen atoms aren’t bonded to
any of the three special atoms, and doesn’t have distortion of electron cloud, then it is a Dipole-
dipole force.
 But if there is an absence of ion, there are polar molecules present, Hydrogen atoms aren’t
bonded to any of the three special atoms, and there is a distortion of electron cloud, then it is a
Dipole-induced dipole force.
You will know what are their differences by just simply looking at this schematic diagram so I’d be
happy to leave this for a while so that you’ll be able to pause for a moment and acknowledge every detail,
every information that this symbolic representation of information throws light on.
For all its worth, I just want to utter that “It is never by chance that something is created; it's the outcome
of forces working together.”
That’s all for today, thanks for trusting me and I hope y’all learned something from this session. If you
have any queries just let me know in the comment section below or you may visit my official website
@www.askDocAra.com, you may all visit my social media accounts dropped below. So, see you in the
next episodes. STUDIA BENE!

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