General Chemistry 2: Kinetic Molecular Theory and Intermolecular Forces

Vocabulary flashcards covering Kinetic Molecular Theory, states of matter properties, and intermolecular forces based on General Chemistry 2 lecture slides.

Kinetic Molecular Theory (KMT)

A theory based on the assumption that all states of matter have component molecules that possess kinetic energy.

Intermolecular Forces

Attractive forces that act between molecules or particles in the solid or liquid states.

Intramolecular Forces

Forces occurring within a molecule that keep the molecule together.

London Dispersion Forces

Weak attractive forces between molecules resulting from small, instantaneous dipoles that occur because of varying positions of electrons.

Dipole-Dipole Forces

Attractive forces that act between polar molecules, which are effective only when molecules are very close together.

Hydrogen Bonding

The attraction between a hydrogen atom bonded to either an oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine atom and a small, highly electronegative atom with lone pairs of electrons or excess electronic charge.

Ion-Dipole Forces

Attractive forces that act between an ion and a polar molecule, such as during solution processes.

Bond Dipoles

Dipoles that arise from the unequal sharing of electrons by covalently bonded atoms.

Gas State

A state of matter that does not have a definite shape or volume due to constant, free, random particle motion and very weak or negligible attraction.

Liquid State

A state of matter that has a definite volume but no definite shape, with particles held together close enough to touch by effective attractive forces that allow them to slide past one another.

Solid State

A state of matter with a definite shape and definite volume, where tightly packed particles are organized in fixed positions with vibrational motion due to very strong attractive forces and low kinetic energy.

Diffusibility

The rate at which particles spread out through a medium, which is extremely slow in solids and slow in liquids.

Compressibility

The capacity of a substance to decrease in volume under pressure, categorized as least compressible in solids and slightly compressible in liquids.

Thermal Expansibility

The property of matter to expand slightly when heated, observed in both solid and liquid states.

Instantaneous Dipoles

Temporary dipole moments formed in nonpolar molecules due to the fluctuating distribution and positions of electrons.

Homologous Nonpolar Molecules

A series of nonpolar molecules whose melting and boiling points increase regularly with increasing molecular mass due to enhanced dispersion forces.

Vibrational Motion

The localized movement of particles oscillating about fixed positions, characteristic of component particles in a solid.

Solution Processes

Interactions such as the dissolution of sodium chloride in water, which rely on ion-dipole forces between solute ions and polar solvent molecules.

van der Waals Forces

A category of intermolecular forces including London dispersion, dipole-dipole, and hydrogen bonding interactions.

Electronegative Atom

An atom (such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine) that attracts shared electrons strongly, producing partial charges that facilitate hydrogen bonding.