Intermolecular Forces and Molecular Polarity

This set of flashcards covers essential vocabulary related to molecular polarity, intermolecular forces, and bonding concepts.

Polarity

The distribution of electrical charge over the atoms in a molecule.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with a net dipole moment due to the presence of polar bonds that do not cancel out.

Nonpolar Molecule

A molecule that has an even distribution of charge, with no distinct poles.

Electronegativity

A measure of how strongly an atom attracts shared electrons in a chemical bond.

Dipole

A separation of positive and negative charge in a polar covalent bond.

Hydrogen Bond

A strong intermolecular force resulting from the attraction between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom.

Dipole-Dipole Attraction

An intermolecular force that occurs between polar molecules.

Dispersion Forces

Weak intermolecular forces that arise from temporary shifts in electron density.

VSEPR Theory

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory, which predicts molecular geometry based on minimizing electron pair repulsion.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.

Ionic Bond

The electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Network Solid

A solid in which atoms are bonded by covalent bonds in a continuous network.

Molecular Geometry

The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

Partial Charge

A charge that occurs when one atom in a bond is more electronegative than the other.

Crystal Lattice

The symmetrical three-dimensional arrangement of atoms inside a crystal.

Bond Polarity

A measure of how ionic or covalent a bond is, determined by electronegativity differences between bonded atoms.

Shape of Molecule

The geometric arrangement of atoms within a molecule.

Asymmetric Shape

A shape that does not have symmetry, often leading to polar molecules.

Symmetric Shape

A shape that has symmetry, often leading to nonpolar molecules.

Lewis Structure

A diagram that shows the bonding between atoms and the lone pairs of electrons in a molecule.

Solute

A substance that is dissolved in a solution.

Solvent

A substance that dissolves a solute to form a solution.

Electrostatic Attraction

The force of attraction between positively and negatively charged ions.

Metallic Bonding

The chemical bonding that results from the attraction between metal atoms and the surrounding sea of electrons.

Properties of Water

Water’s unique properties arise from its polar nature and its ability to form hydrogen bonds.

Boiling Point

The temperature at which a liquid's vapor pressure equals the surrounding atmospheric pressure.

Melting Point

The temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid.

Intermolecular Forces

Forces between molecules that affect physical properties such as melting and boiling points.

Strong Attractive Forces

Forces that result in high melting and boiling points due to the difficulty of breaking those bonds.

Weak Attractive Forces

Forces that result in low melting and boiling points due to the ease of breaking those bonds.

Hydrophilic

Substances that are attracted to water and can dissolve in it.

Hydrophobic

Substances that repel water and do not dissolve in it.

Ionic Compound

A compound formed from the electrostatic attraction between cations and anions.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outer shell of an atom that are involved in chemical bonding.

Delocalized Electrons

Electrons that are not associated with a single atom or bond in a molecule.

Chemical Formula

A representation of a substance using symbols for its constituent elements.