Activity #1: Intermolecular Forces (IMFs)

File name format: Last name, First name, Activity #__.

Experimental Objectives:  To demonstrate how intermolecular forces affect physical properties such as
surface tension and evaporation.

PRELAB ASSIGNMENT: Define these terms before you begin (1pt) 

a. Evaporation
b. Hydrogen bonds
c. Surface tension
d. Surfactant
e. Hydrophilic
f. Hydrophobic

Part 1---Evaporative Cooling

Evaporation occurs when a substance goes from the liquid phase to the gas phase. In order to
evaporate, a liquid molecule must have enough energy (kinetic energy) to overcome the intermolecular
attractions.  When the liquid molecule does evaporate, the liquid molecules left behind have lower
kinetic energy, which means a lower temperature in the liquid. Evaporation also cools the surrounding
air because the liquid molecules that have evaporated have small kinetic energy compared to the air
molecules, lowering the average kinetic energy of molecules in that area.

Why does your skin feel cool as water evaporates?  Your skin feels cool because heat is being
transferred from your body to the water molecules.  This allows the water molecules to have enough
kinetic energy to continue evaporation. The more water that evaporates from your skin, the cooler your
skin feels.

Supplies needed:
Two small glasses
Water
Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
(Pictures of materials)

Procedure:
Pour a small amount of water into one glass and a small amount of alcohol into another. Dip one finger
into the water and one finger into the alcohol.  Remove your fingers from the liquids at the same time
and let them dry in the air.

(Include pictures of the procedure)

1)  Describe what happens:

2) One finger should feel cooler than the other.  Which one is it?

3)  Is the cooler finger experiencing more or less evaporation than the warmer finger?

4)  If a liquid is evaporating more quickly, what does that say about the strength of the intermolecular
attractions between the liquid molecules? (Strong or weak?)

5)  Which liquid has stronger intermolecular forces, water or isopropyl alcohol?

6)  Why will wrapping a bottle in a wet cloth produce a cooler bottle than placing the bottle in a bucket
of cold water? (Think about the questions above.)

7)  I have friends who live in Las Vegas where it gets quite warm.  The consoling phrase that I hear when
I visit in the summer is “At least it’s a dry heat”. Why do you feel warmer when the humidity is high vs.
when the humidity is low (as in Las Vegas)?

Part 2---Runaway Pepper

Surface tension is the elastic tendency found at the surface of a liquid.  You see the effects of surface
tension all the time in ponds and lakes when bugs “walk” on the water surface.  Where does surface
tension come from?  Hydrogen bonds.  In a container of water, the water molecules in the middle of the
container are being attracted through hydrogen bonds to water molecules all around them.  Water
molecules at the surface, however, do not have any molecules above them, and are pulled sideways and
downward.  This sideways pulling results in the phenomenon of surface tension. This surface tension can
be broken by a surfactant or detergent such as soap.

Supplies needed:
Clean shallow dish, pan, skillet, or plate (that can hold water)
Tap Water      
Pepper or cinnamon
Bar of soap
(Pictures of the Materials)
Procedure: (Include pictures)
8) Fill a clean shallow dish or pan of water.  Sprinkle pepper or cinnamon on it.  Explain why the pepper
or cinnamon floats on the water.

9)  Touch the bar of soap to the center of the pan. Describe what you observe and come up with a
reasonable explanation for it.  (Hint: Water is attracted to water – that’s why its surface tension is so
great. What does soap appear to do?)

Part 3---Milk Rainbow

Food coloring is an aqueous solution while milk contains non-polar fat molecules. It will help to review
the structure of soap molecules.

“Polar head”  “Nonpolar tail”

(Hydrophilic)                          (Hydrophobic)

Supplies needed:     

2% milk (or you can use milk with a higher fat content)
Small plate or saucer
Food coloring
Liquid dish soap
(Pictures)

Procedure: (Include pictures)

Pour enough milk in to a saucer to cover the bottom.  Add 4 to 8 drops of different colors of food
coloring to the milk, placing the drops on separate areas of the milk.

10)  Describe what it looks like:

11)  Add 1 drop of soap to the saucer and wait for several seconds.

Describe what happened:

12)  Milk is a mixture that contains water and fat. Is soap attracted to water, fat, or both? Explain.

13)  Why does the food coloring stay in separate areas of the milk before the soap is added? (Hint:
Think about the old adage “Oil and water don’t mix” and then think about the chemistry behind that
saying.)

14)  Why does adding soap allow the watery food coloring solution to move around the saucer?

15)  Is soap necessary to remove salt (NaCl) from your hands? Explain.