Chemistry: Intermolecular Forces

Objectives

• Students will be able to distinguish intermolecular and intramolecular forces.
• Students will understand the differences between dipole-dipole interactions and induced dipole-induced dipole (London dispersion) interactions.

Vocabulary

• dipole-dipole interactions
• dipole moment
• induced dipole-induced dipole interactions
• intermolecular forces
• intramolecular forces
• London dispersion forces
• van der Waals forces

About the Lesson

• In this lesson students will first observe the changing charge cloud that surrounds a single polar molecule (HCl) and a single non-polar molecule (Cl₂).
• Next students are shown the lines of force that develop between adjacent HCl molecules and adjacent Cl₂ molecules. These simulations will give students new insights into why molecules attract each other. They will also explore the different types of intermolecular interactions.

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