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Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties definitions

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  • Intermolecular Forces
    Attractive interactions between molecules that determine many observable characteristics of substances.
  • Physical Properties
    Measurable attributes such as boiling point, melting point, surface tension, and viscosity that describe matter.
  • Boiling Point
    Temperature where liquid and gas phases are in equilibrium, allowing vaporization and condensation to occur.
  • Melting Point
    Temperature where solid and liquid phases are in equilibrium, marking the transition between melting and freezing.
  • Surface Tension
    Cohesive effect at a liquid's surface caused by molecular attractions, enabling phenomena like insects walking on water.
  • Viscosity
    Resistance of a substance to flow; higher values mean slower movement, as seen in honey compared to water.
  • Vapor Pressure
    Pressure exerted by a gas above its liquid in equilibrium, inversely related to the strength of molecular attractions.
  • Equilibrium
    State where two phases, such as liquid and gas or solid and liquid, coexist with balanced rates of change.
  • Condensation
    Process where gas molecules lose energy and transition into the liquid phase, contributing to vapor pressure.
  • Vaporization
    Transition of molecules from the liquid phase to the gas phase, occurring at the boiling point.
  • Cohesive Forces
    Attractions between like molecules within a substance, responsible for effects like surface tension.
  • Hydrogen Bonding
    A particularly strong type of molecular attraction, especially significant in water, enhancing surface tension.
  • Resistance to Flow
    Characteristic describing how slowly a substance moves, directly related to viscosity.
  • Temperature
    Measure of thermal energy; increasing it can decrease viscosity and affect phase transitions.