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How do you identify intermolecular interactions?

User Greenstick
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Final answer:

To identify intermolecular forces, one must assess if substances are polar or nonpolar and predict the type of interactions, which include London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonding.

Step-by-step explanation:

How to Identify Intermolecular Interactions

To identify intermolecular interactions, we first determine if each liquid is polar or nonpolar. Once we know the polarity of the substances, we can predict the type of intermolecular interactions that occur. Intermolecular forces are electrostatic in nature, involving the interaction between charged species. They are categorized into several types, mainly:

  • London dispersion forces
  • Dipole-dipole interactions
  • Hydrogen bonding

There are two additional types of electrostatic interactions: ion-ion interactions, which are responsible for ionic bonding, and ion-dipole interactions, which occur when ionic substances dissolve in polar substances like water. These interactions are critical in solids and liquids and become significant for gases at high pressures.

User Daniel Bank
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