Welcome to our page about molecule names, groups, and forces. It goes with chapters 8 and 9 of Chemistry: Matter and Change. Chapter 8 is called “Ionic Compounds,” and chapter 9 is called “Covalent Bonding.” On this webpage, we begin by going over how to name chemicals. Then we’ll talk about how crystalline solids are organized. Next, we’ll talk about intermolecular forces. If you need extra support, you can book a lesson with a private tutor at the bottom of the page.
Naming Chemicals
One of the hardest parts about chemistry is naming chemicals. So we’ve created some flow charts to help you. Clicking on them will enlarge them.
Ionic Bonds
Ionic bonds occur when a metal or a transition metal is bonded to a nonmetal.
Molecular Bonds
Learn how to name chemicals that have two nonmetals bonded together by following the chart below.
Acidic Bonds
Learn how to name acids using the charts below. Unfortunately, there isn’t an exact formula for acids, but this will get you pretty close.
Polyatomic Ions
Basic Bonds
There are usually two parts of bases: the element and the OH- it is bonded to. Let’s use NaOH as an example.
Crystalline Solids
Welcome to our section about crystalline solids! You’ll learn what they are and the different types. If you are a visual learner, there is graphic that will help you keep track of the different types and their IMF. There are also links to three Crash Course videos on the subject.
Definitions of Crystalline Solids
Crystalline solids are atoms arranged in an orderly way. Scientists divide crystalline solids into three groups: ionic solids, atomic solids, and molecular solids.
Ionic solids are made of metals bonded to non-metals with ionic bonds.
Atomic solids are usually made of single elements. However, scientists also classify silicon bonded to oxygen and silicon bonded to carbon as atomic solids. Scientists divide atomic solids into three groups: metals, network covalent bonds, and noble gasses.
- Metals: metallic elements bonded with themselves with detached electrons.
- Network covalent bonds: silicon and carbon atoms bonded together in multiple places forming a network of bonds.
- Noble gases: Group VIII elements loosely bonded together with London Dispersion Forces (LDF). (Group VIII elements are those elements in the last row of your periodic table.)
Molecular solids are non-metallic atoms bonded together with covalent bonds.
Chart of Crystalline Solids
The chart below will help you identify the different types of crystalline solids.
Videos: Solids, Network Solids & Carbon, Silicon
These Crash Course videos will give you a great overview of crystalline solids!
.
Intermolecular Forces
Ranking Intermolecular Forces
Below is an explanation of how intermolecular forces are ranked from strongest to weakest.
1. The strongest intermolecular forces are in ion-ion bonds which happen when a metal bonds to another metal.
2. The next strongest forces are ion-dipole bonds which happen when metals bond to nonmetals.
3. The third strongest force is a type of dipole-dipole force called hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding only occurs when hydrogen is bonded with nitrogen, fluorine, or oxygen. That’s because nitrogen, fluorine, and oxygen have high electronegativity.
4. The rest of the dipole-dipole bonds come next. They occur at polar nonmetal bonds.
5. The weakest forces are London Dispersion Forces (LDF) also known as Van der Waals (VDF). All molecules have this force. The more electrons the molecules have, the stronger this force is.
6. The more electronegativity a molecule has, the greater the intermolecular force. For example, NH3 and H2O both have hydrogen bonds, but H20 has a greater intermolecular force because it’s two loan pairs make it more electronegative (or more polar) than NH3 which only has one loan pair.
7. VDW is not an acronym commonly used in the science world, but typing out Van der Waals took too much room on the graphic, and I figured since LDF is okay to use, VDW should be too.
.
Video: Types, Boiling Points, and Quiz
The first half of this video explains the different types of intermolecular forces. The second half explains how they affect boiling points. At the end is a short quiz for you to practice comparing the intermolecular forces between molecules.
.
Want more?
For more science resources, visit our Science page. For resources that help with other subjects, visit our Study Tools page!
If you have more questions or have any tips on how we can improve this page, please email Marci@RegalLessons.com.
.
Book a Private Tutor!
Students of the Los Angeles South Bay, you can sign up for at-your-home tutoring. That’s right, we’ll come to you! If you live outside the area, we can work with you virtually. Visit our about page to see which tutor is best for you. Once you’ve found your favorite tutor, you can see their availability and book a tutoring session using the booking plug-in below!
- Regal Tutors accepts bookings up to 80 days in advance.
- If you see a window that says “Your phone ____ is already associated with another email.” Click “UPDATE.”
- Click here to watch a video on how to schedule a tutor.
.
