Question

Explain why carbon dioxide is a gas, water is a liquid, and salt is solid at room temperature based on how the particals are held together.

Please help I'm having a hard time explaining this.

Answer 1

Carbon dioxide is held together by weak intermolecular forces (only London dispersion LD) and is a non-polar molecule. Because of this weak attraction, it exists as a gas. Water on the other hand is polar (dipole forces DP), and has a stronger hydrogen bond existing within it (in addition to LD). This makes it attract itself more than say carbon dioxide molecules, so it commonly exists as a liquid. Finally, salt like water is polar, and has ionic bonds that are even stronger than a hydrogen bond. This makes salt have a great attraction to itself, sticking together as a solid because its molecules cant easily be broken up.

Step-by-step explanation:

These are the strongest intermolecular forces ranked from strongest to weakest.

1. Network Covalent

2. Ionic

3. Hydrogen Bonding

4. Dipole Dipole

5. London Dispersion