Intermolecular Forces
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
Join Socratica’s Chemistry Club for free updates to this course.
Full-length Practice Tests with Answer Keys
