4.7 Forces of attraction (intermolecular forces)  (Page 5/17)

Dipole-dipole attractions

Recall from the chapter on chemical bonding and molecular geometry that polar molecules have a partial positive charge on one side and a partial negative charge on the other side of the molecule—a separation of charge called a dipole . Consider a polar molecule such as hydrogen chloride, HCl. In the HCl molecule, the more electronegative Cl atom bears the partial negative charge, whereas the less electronegative H atom bears the partial positive charge. An attractive force between HCl molecules results from the attraction between the positive end of one HCl molecule and the negative end of another. This attractive force is called a dipole-dipole attraction    —the electrostatic force between the partially positive end of one polar molecule and the partially negative end of another, as illustrated in [link] .

The effect of a dipole-dipole attraction is apparent when we compare the properties of HCl molecules to nonpolar F ₂ molecules. Both HCl and F ₂ consist of the same number of atoms and have approximately the same molecular mass. At a temperature of 150 K, molecules of both substances would have the same average KE. However, the dipole-dipole attractions between HCl molecules are sufficient to cause them to “stick together” to form a liquid, whereas the relatively weaker dispersion forces between nonpolar F ₂ molecules are not, and so this substance is gaseous at this temperature. The higher normal boiling point of HCl (188 K) compared to F ₂ (85 K) is a reflection of the greater strength of dipole-dipole attractions between HCl molecules, compared to the attractions between nonpolar F ₂ molecules. We will often use values such as boiling or freezing points, or enthalpies of vaporization or fusion, as indicators of the relative strengths of IMFs of attraction present within different substances.