Which of the following compounds would experience the strongest overall intermolecular forces?

• A. H2O
• B. N2
• C. CO2
• D. CH4

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the types of intermolecular forces present in each compound: N2, CO2, CH4, and H2O. These forces include London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonding.
2. Recognize that N2 and CO2 are nonpolar molecules, so their intermolecular forces are primarily London dispersion forces, which are generally weak.
3. Note that CH4 is also nonpolar, so it mainly experiences London dispersion forces as well, but since it is a larger molecule than N2, its dispersion forces might be slightly stronger than N2's.
4. Understand that H2O is a polar molecule with a bent shape, allowing it to form hydrogen bonds, which are a special and much stronger type of dipole-dipole interaction due to the presence of highly electronegative oxygen bonded to hydrogen.
5. Conclude that because hydrogen bonding is stronger than both dipole-dipole and London dispersion forces, H2O experiences the strongest overall intermolecular forces among the given compounds.