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Intermolecular Forces Group Exercise – CHEM 1140

1. Consider the following series of molecules, H2 O, H2 S, H2 Se.

a) Are the molecules polar or nonpolar?

All of the molecules are polar.

H H H H H H

O S Se

b) Which types of intermolecular forces occur between H2 Se and H2 S molecules?

Dipole forces
Induction (dipole-induced dipole) forces
Dispersion (induced dipole-induced dipole) forces

c) Which types of intermolecular forces occur between H2 O molecules?

Hydrogen bonding
Dipole forces
Induction (dipole-induced dipole) forces
Dispersion (induced dipole-induced dipole) forces

d) Which of the molecules exhibits the strongest dispersion forces?

H2Se because Se has a higher polarizability than S.

e) The boiling point of H2 O is 100 °C, the boiling of H2 S is – 86 °C and the boiling point
of H2 Se is -42 °C. Which molecule has the strongest total forces and which has the
weakest?

Highest boiling point means H2O has the highest forces. Lowest boiling point
means H2S has the weakest forces.

f) Which of the molecules will have the strongest attraction toward the ammonia molecule?

H2O because it can hydrogen bond with ammonia, NH3.

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2. Arrange the following in order of increasing melting point: CBr4 , CCl4 , CF4 , CI4 .

CF4, CCl4, CBr4, CI4 because of increasing dispersion forces caused from
greater induced dipoles caused by greater polarizabilities.

3. Phosphine, PH3 is a polar molecule and a gas at room temperature. Molecular iodine, I2 is
a nonpolar molecule and a solid at room temperature?
a) Why do these phenomena, when considered together, contradict what we have learned
in class?

We learned in class that dipole forces are stronger than dispersion forces.

b) Keeping in mind the principles of intermolecular forces strengths that we have learned,
offer a simple explanation why iodine is a solid at room temperature whereas phosphine
is a gas.

However, if phosphine is a gas and iodine is a solid, then the induced dipole of
iodine must be stronger than the dipole of phosphine.
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4. Assume that the below molecules are liquids (they’re not!), arrange them in order of
increasing surface tension.
Note: I’ve been lazy and not included lone pairs of electrons where they need to be.
Rewrite the Lewis structures with the electrons in the right places.

a) H H b)
H H H H H H

C C
H C C C C H
H N H
H H O H
H C H
H
H
c) d)
H H H H H

H C C C H H C C H

H H H H H
H H
H H

C C

H N H
Polar molecule – dipole, induction and dispersion forces

H C H

H
H H H H

H C C C C H
Polar molecule – hydrogen bonding, dipole, induction and
H H O H dispersion forces

H
H H H

H C C C H Nonpolar molecule – dispersion forces only (induced dipoles

bigger than molecule below)
H H H
H H

H C C H Nonpolar molecule – dispersion forces only (induced dipoles

smaller than molecule above)
H H
Thus in order of increasing surface tension: d, c, a, b