CHEM 110 Lecture 9: Liquids & the Unique Properties of Water

• School: McGill University
• Department: Chemistry
• Course: CHEM 110
• Professor: Christopher Barrett

Document Summary

Chem 110 lecture 9 liquids & the unique properties of water. Lecture date/time: sept 28th, 2015 / 10:35-11:25 am. Molecular interaction & potential energy (imagine two molecules, see picture, look at red line) When molecules are very far apart, their interaction energy potential is weak. Potential energy grows stronger as they closer to each other as the pull of attraction on each other has a better grasp . When molecules continue to get so close to each other, their outer electron clouds overlap. ^this means that the two negative electron clouds repel each other and repulsive forces dominate, thus potential energy increases very quickly and intensely. At the bottom/the lowest point on the graph at the point between electron repulsion and attraction is equilibrium. Potential energy curve = the net effect of both these effects (repulsions at short range & attraction at long range); most intermolecular interactions can be represented by similar plots on this curve.