What is the difference between chemical bonds and intermolecular forces

Water molecules are held together by intermolecular forces; when intermolecular forces are strongest between water, you have ice. When they are medium, you have liquid water. When they are weak, you have water vapor. Intermolecular forces are easier to break than chemical bonds, and basically come in four varieties London dispersion, Dipole-Dipole, Hydrogen, Ion-Dipole. What is the difference between an intermolecular force and a chemical bond?

Chemistry Bonding Basics Bonding. Harish K. Mar 29, Both are distinct concepts that students often get confused. Explanation: Chemical bonds are the strong forces that bind atoms to make molecules and compounds. Take NaCl table salt as an example. Typically, these forces between molecules form much weaker bonds than those bonds that form compounds. Intermolecular forces are described below. They are grouped into 3 subcategories based on the type of intramolecular bonds that form a compound:.

There are five kinds of intermolecular forces described below; the bond strengths described range from strongest to weakest the latter 3 are examples of van der Waals forces. Please remember that this comparison is relative to other intermolecular attractions and not to covalent or ionic bond strength; there are numerous exceptions that are not provided here.

Please read the Duke Wordpress Policies. Contact the Duke WordPress team. The Pharmacology Education Partnership. Home About Effectiveness Downloads Contact. Search Search. It's Radical! Covalent Bond: a bond in which a pair or pairs of electrons is shared by two atoms. Molecular compounds refer to covalently-bonded species, generally of low molecular mass.

Intermolecular forces are the forces that hold two or more molecules together. During a physical change these are the forces that usually gets weakened or strengthened to allow a substance change from one state to another.

For example, when ice is heated, it can change from solid to liquid and to steam. In the same way, if the steam is contained and cooled, it can change back to liquid and solid.

We know of two ways in which intermolecular forces can exist. One is called the Vander Waals forces and the other dipole-dipole forces. Dipole-dipole forces are stronger and are the attractive force between polar molecules, while Vander Waals forces are weaker and are the attractive force between nonpolar molecules.