How is the temperature change in an alcohol related to how storng the intermolecular forces are?
I don't know that there is a relationship. The intermolecular forces make a difference in the boiling point and freezing point but I don't believe they have anything to do with absorbing heat. If another tutor disagrees, I'm sure you will hear about it.
There is certainly a difference in thermal conductivity between liquids. Hydrogen bonded liquids (water, alcohols) have a larger thermal conductivity than a hydrocarbon for example. The liquids with lowest thermal conductivities are the freons which are used as refridgerants.
The temperature change in an alcohol is indeed related to the strength of its intermolecular forces. The intermolecular forces between molecules determine how tightly they are held together. In the case of alcohols, the main intermolecular forces are hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole interactions, and London dispersion forces.
The strength of these intermolecular forces determines the boiling point and melting point of the alcohol. Substances with stronger intermolecular forces require more energy to break those forces and change from a solid to a liquid (melting), or from a liquid to a gas (boiling). On the other hand, substances with weaker intermolecular forces require less energy to change their phase.
Alcohols, which have hydrogen bonding between their molecules, tend to have higher boiling points compared to other compounds with similar molecular weights. Hydrogen bonding is a relatively strong intermolecular force that occurs when a hydrogen atom is bonded to an electronegative element (such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine), and is attracted to another electronegative atom in a neighboring molecule. The presence of hydrogen bonding makes alcohols more difficult to vaporize because the intermolecular forces are stronger, requiring more energy to break the bonds and allow the molecules to separate.
Therefore, alcohols with stronger intermolecular forces (such as those with more hydrogen bonding) will generally have higher boiling points and require more energy to change their phase. Conversely, alcohols with weaker intermolecular forces (such as those with fewer hydrogen bonds) will have lower boiling points and require less energy to change their phase.