INTERMOLECULAR FORCES (IMF)

Intermolecular forces exist between molecules, they hold molecules together and they can either be attractive or
repulsive forces. They are accountable why substances exist as solids, liquids or gases at room temperature.
Intermolecular forces are much weaker than the intramolecular forces of attraction but are important because they
determine the physical properties of molecules like their boiling point, melting point, and density.
INTER-IONIC FORCES – are forces that hold ions together.
FOUR TYPES OF INTERMOLECULAR FORCES OF ATTRACTION INVOLVING COVALENT BONDS
1.) Dipole-dipole
2. Ion- dipole
3.) London forces/ Dispersion forces
( The first 3 are known as Van der Waals forces - are weak, short range electrostatic attractive forces
between uncharged molecules arising from interaction of permanent of transient electric dipole moments)
4. Hydrogen bond

Types of Intermolecular Forces That Exist Between Molecules

1. DIPOLE-DIPOLE INTERACTIONS – are attractive forces existing between polar molecules ( or molecules that
exhibit dipole moment, like HCl).
- These forces occur when the partially positively charged part of a molecule interacts with the partially
negatively charged part of the neighbouring molecule.
Dipole-dipole interactions are the strongest among the Van der Waal forces but is weaker than ionic and
H-bonds).

Example: The partial negative end (Cl-) will be attracted to

the partial positive end (H-atom) of another HCl
molecule)
2. ION-DIPOLE FORCES – exist in the attraction between a
charged particle called ion (either cation or anion)
and polar molecule.
- This is exhibited in hydration or the interaction of water
molecules w/ the cations and anions of ionic compounds such as NaCl.
- When NaCl is dissolved in water (H 2O), NaCl will dissociate into
sodium cations (Na+) and chlorine anions (Cl-), because water is a
polar molecule and has partial negative and partial positive poles,
the Na+ will form an ion-dipole interaction w/ the partial negative
part of water molecules (O -), while the Cl- will form an ion-dipole
interaction w/ the partial positive part of the water molecule (H+).
3. LONDON DISPERSION FORCES: These are the weakest
of the intermolecular forces that are formed due to the
temporary dipoles induced in non-polar molecules or it can also
exist between all types of molecules, whether ionic or covalent—
polar or nonpolar. The more electrons a molecule has, the stronger
the London dispersion forces are.
This force is also called induced dipole interaction, take for example if
there is an ion or a polar molecule near an atom or a non-polar molecule, there will be distortion in the e- cloud of the
atom of the non-polar molecule due to the force exerted by the ion or the polar molecule, this distortion will result in
temporary dipoles in the non-polar molecule w/ is called induced
dipole.
INDUCED DIPOLE – is the separation of the positive and
negative charges in a nonpolar molecule due to the nearness
of an ion or a polar molecule.
Ion-induced dipole interaction – when the induced
dipole is due to the interaction between an ion and non-polar
molecule.
Dipole-induced dipole interaction – when the induced
dipole is due to the interaction between a polar and a non-polar
molecule.
4. HYDROGEN BONDING: This is a special kind of dipole-dipole interaction that occurs specifically between a
hydrogen atom bonded to highly electronegative atoms either a fluorine, oxygen or nitrogen ( F, O or N) atom.
The partially positive end of hydrogen is attracted to the partially negative end of the oxygen, nitrogen, or
fluorine of another molecule.
 H-bond creates the so-called surface tension on top of the water, hence the reason why light objects
like small insects float or walk on water.
- Hydrogen bonding is a relatively strong force of attraction between molecules, and considerable energy
is required to break hydrogen bonds. This explains the exceptionally high boiling points and melting points of
compounds like water (H2O), and hydrogen fluoride, (HF).

- Hydrogen bonding plays an important role in

biology; for example, hydrogen bonds are responsible for
holding nucleotide bases together in DNA and RNA.

Figure of intramolecular polar covalent bonding within H20

molecules and hydrogen bonding between O and H atoms.

INTERMOLECULAR AND INTER-IONIC FORCES OF ATTRACTION

Type of Interaction Interacting Particles
Dipole-dipole Polar molecules
Ion-dipole Ions and polar molecules
Dispersion (London forces) All molecules (esp. non-polar)
Hydrogen Bond F, O, N bonded w/ H atom
Ion-ion Ions (cations and anions)

How Forces of Attraction Affect Properties of Compounds

Polar covalent compounds—like hydrogen chloride, (HCl) and hydrogen iodide,{HI}—have dipole-dipole
interactions between partially charged ions and London dispersion forces between molecules.
Nonpolar covalent compounds—like methane (CH4) and nitrogen gas, (N2) only have London dispersion forces
between molecules.
The rule of thumb is that the stronger the intermolecular forces of attraction, the more energy is required to
break those forces. This translates into ionic and polar covalent compounds having higher boiling and melting points, and
higher vaporization than covalent compounds.
Boiling and melting points of compounds depend on the type and strength of the intermolecular forces
present, as tabulated below:

Relative order of boiling and

Type of compound Intermolecular forces present
melting points
Ion to ion attraction between ions, London
Ionic compounds dispersion forces 1, highest)
Covalent compounds containing
hydrogen bonds Hydrogen bonds, London dispersion forces 2
Dipole-dipole attraction between dipoles created
by partially charged ions, London dispersion
Polar covalent compounds forces 3
Nonpolar covalent compounds London dispersion forces 4, lowest