Multiple Choice
Which of the following intermolecular forces are electrostatic interactions between permanent dipoles in polar molecules?
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13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces
Intermolecular Forces
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In which of the following compounds will the molecules not form hydrogen bonds with each other?
A
NH3
B
CH3OCH3
C
CH3F
D
H2O
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand what hydrogen bonding is: it is a special type of dipole-dipole interaction that occurs when a hydrogen atom is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom such as nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), or fluorine (F), and this hydrogen interacts with a lone pair of electrons on another electronegative atom in a nearby molecule.
Examine each compound to identify if it contains hydrogen atoms bonded directly to N, O, or F, which are necessary for hydrogen bonding:
For NH3 (ammonia), hydrogen atoms are bonded to nitrogen, so molecules can form hydrogen bonds with each other.
For H2O (water), hydrogen atoms are bonded to oxygen, so molecules can form hydrogen bonds with each other.
For CH3F (fluoromethane), although fluorine is highly electronegative, the hydrogen atoms are bonded to carbon, not fluorine, so hydrogen bonding between molecules is not significant; however, the molecule can still have dipole interactions.
For CH3OCH3 (dimethyl ether), the oxygen atom has lone pairs but the hydrogens are bonded to carbon atoms, not oxygen, so there are no hydrogen atoms attached to N, O, or F; therefore, molecules of CH3OCH3 cannot form hydrogen bonds with each other.
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