Intermolecular Forces, Hydrogen Bonds, and Mixtures

Flashcards covering van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding in water, academic vocabulary, and types of mixtures (homogeneous, heterogeneous, solutions, and suspensions).

van der Waals forces

Weak electrostatic attractions between regions of opposite charge on nearby polar molecules, named after Dutch physicist Johannes van der Waals.

Johannes van der Waals

The Dutch physicist who first described the phenomenon of weak electrostatic attractions between molecules.

Intermolecular forces

Electrostatic attractions between different molecules that determine a compound's physical characteristics, such as boiling point and melting point.

Hydrogen bond

A weak interaction involving a hydrogen atom and a fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen atom from a different molecule, representing a strong type of van der Waals force.

Interaction

A reciprocal effect or action.

Covalent bonds in water

Strong chemical bonds within a water molecule that link two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen atom.

Mixture

A combination of two or more substances in which each substance retains its individual characteristics and properties.

Homogeneous mixture

A mixture with a uniform composition throughout; also called a solution.

Solvent

A substance in which another substance is dissolved.

Solute

The substance that is dissolved in the solvent.

Heterogeneous mixture

A mixture in which the components remain distinct and can be identified individually.

Suspension

A type of heterogeneous mixture in which particles settle to the bottom over time.