Question

Extend your thinking: What is the relative strength of intermolecular forces compared to the forces between ions in a salt or the forces between metal atoms in a metallic bond?

Answer 1

so do you know the difference between certain forces are?
Its been awhile since ive learned this

Answer 2

i know intermolecular is one of the strongest

Answer 3

they're all intermolecular forces

Answer 4

or are they intramolecular?

Answer 5

yes, but there is a difference between the force within a single atom and other atoms

Answer 6

inter is within the same molecule/atom/whatever and intra is between different molecules right?

Answer 7

we were just about to learn this before the lockdown so my teacher didn't have time to explain it very well before online class

Answer 8

hmm, i dont remember the intra one, possible google molecular forces real quick

Answer 9

well the question is asking about inter vs ionic salts vs metallic and I'm very confused

Answer 10

ok, well i believe inter is strongest in strength

Answer 11

i think salts is weakest but i could be wrong

Answer 12

okay so someone just told me it's basically intermolecular vs ionic vs covalent bonds and that helps a ton

Answer 13

i think i can figure it out now

Answer 14

ok cool, and yeah that sounds right

Answer 15

As @DEADP00L said, INTERmolecular forces are the forces of interaction that exist BETWEEN molecules of different or like species, not really within the molecule. Think about it this way. You have a water molecule, H2O.
Ignore the drawing, but the bonds within that water molecule are polar covalent bonds, between the O and the H. That is an INTRAmolecular force.

Now let's say you bring two water molecules close together.

There are polar covalent bonds within the water molecules, but the two water molecules attract each other because of an INTERmolecular force called a Hydrogen bond (there are also dipole-dipole interactions and London dispersion forces).


Intermolecular forces are responsible mainly for the physical and colligative properties of a substance and intramolecular forces are responsible for chemical properties. Intermolecular forces are weaker than intramolecular forces of course.

The forces that exist between ions are ionic bonds, and forces between metals are metallic bonds. They are all intramolecular forces (you could argue that metallic bonds are also intermolecular as they form metallic crystalline lattices). They are generally stronger than intermolecular forces.

Answer 16

thank you sir for clarifying