Intermolecular Forces

Course:
Chemistry

Commonly confused terms in Chemistry: intramolecular forces and intermolecular forces. Intramolecular forces hold individual compounds and molecules together. These include Ionic Bonds and Covalent Bonds, and are relatively strong forces.

Intermolecular Forces, on the other hand, are relatively weak. These are the less-permanent, more fleeting interactions between separate compounds and molecules. There are a variety of ways to categorize these weak forces. In this video, we describe:

  • dipole interactions, including ion-dipole forces, ion-induced dipole interactions, dipole-dipole interactions.
  • the special case of the Hydrogen bond
  • dispersion forces, including van der Waals interactions

Details about strong intramolecular forces can be found in their own videos: Ionic Bonds and Covalent Bonds.

Video: Intermolecular Forces

Handout: Video Notes Worksheet

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