Static Electricity and Molecular Forces

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and concepts related to static electricity and molecular forces, including Coulomb's law, polarity, hydrogen bonding, and surface tension.

Static Electricity

A type of electric charge that can attract or repel objects, such as water molecules when a balloon is rubbed with a cloth.

Coulomb's Law

Describes the magnitude of the electric force between two point charges, stating it is directly related to the product of the charges and inversely related to the square of the distance between them.

Electric Forces

Forces that arise due to the attraction or repulsion between charged particles.

Polarity

The distribution of electrical charge over the atoms in a molecule, resulting in a positive and a negative end, or dipole.

Dipole

A molecule that has two poles, with one end having a partial positive charge and the other end having a partial negative charge.

Hydrogen Bonding

A strong type of dipole-dipole interaction that occurs in molecules when hydrogen is bonded to highly electronegative atoms like fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen.

Surface Tension

The cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the surface, resulting in a minimized surface area and formation of a spherical shape.

Cohesion

The attraction between molecules of the same substance, which is particularly strong in water due to hydrogen bonding.

Dipole-Dipole Interaction

Interactions between the positive end of one polar molecule and the negative end of another polar molecule.

Induced Dipole

A temporary dipole that occurs when a polar molecule causes a distortion in the electron distribution of a neighboring nonpolar molecule.