What is the strength of intermolecular forces in methylated spirit, acetone, water, glycerin and oil

The strength of intermolecular forces can be ranked from weakest to strongest as follows:

1. Oil: Oil molecules are nonpolar, composed mainly of carbon and hydrogen atoms. It has weak van der Waals forces between its molecules, which are relatively weak intermolecular forces.

2. Acetone: Acetone is a polar molecule due to the presence of oxygen. It exhibits dipole-dipole interactions between its molecules. While stronger than van der Waals forces, these forces are still relatively weak.

3. Methylated Spirit: Methylated spirit, also known as denatured alcohol, is mainly composed of ethanol with other additives. Ethanol is a polar molecule, so it experiences dipole-dipole interactions. Therefore, the strength of intermolecular forces in methylated spirit is similar to that of acetone.

4. Water: Water is a highly polar molecule due to the electronegativity difference between oxygen and hydrogen atoms. It forms hydrogen bonds between water molecules, which are stronger than both dipole-dipole interactions and van der Waals forces. These hydrogen bonds are relatively strong intermolecular forces.

5. Glycerin: Glycerin is also a polar molecule and possesses hydroxyl groups (-OH). It forms hydrogen bonds similar to water. However, due to its larger size and more extensive branching, glycerin experiences stronger intermolecular forces compared to water.

In summary, the strength of intermolecular forces from weakest to strongest is as follows: oil < acetone < methylated spirit < water < glycerin.

To determine the strength of intermolecular forces in different substances, we need to consider factors such as molecular polarity, molecular size/shape, and the type of intermolecular forces present.

1. Methylated Spirit (methanol) - Methanol is a polar molecule due to the difference in electronegativity between carbon and oxygen. It exhibits dipole-dipole interactions, which are relatively strong intermolecular forces. Methanol also has London dispersion forces, which exist in every molecule and arise from temporary fluctuations in electron distribution. These forces are relatively weak.

2. Acetone - Acetone is also a polar molecule due to the presence of a carbonyl group (C=O). It has dipole-dipole interactions similar to methylated spirit. Acetone molecules are smaller than methanol molecules, which can slightly increase the strength of the intermolecular forces. Like methanol, acetone also has London dispersion forces.

3. Water - Water is highly polar due to its bent molecular shape and the difference in electronegativity between oxygen and hydrogen atoms. This polarity gives rise to strong dipole-dipole interactions. Additionally, water molecules can form hydrogen bonds with each other. Hydrogen bonding is a special type of dipole-dipole interaction and is stronger than regular dipole-dipole forces. Hence, water exhibits relatively strong intermolecular forces.

4. Glycerin - Glycerin is a larger and more complex molecule compared to methanol, acetone, and water. It is also polar due to the presence of multiple hydroxyl groups. Glycerin molecules have dipole-dipole interactions, similar to the previous substances, but due to its size and complexity, the intermolecular forces in glycerin may be stronger than in methanol and acetone.

5. Oil - "Oil" is a broad term that encompasses various nonpolar substances, such as hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons have only London dispersion forces because they lack polarity and cannot form hydrogen bonds or dipole-dipole interactions. These dispersion forces are generally weaker than the dipole-dipole interactions in polar molecules.

In summary, the strength of intermolecular forces from strongest to weakest would generally be: water (due to hydrogen bonding), glycerin (dipole-dipole interactions), methylated spirit and acetone (dipole-dipole interactions and dispersion forces), and oil (dispersion forces).

I assume you want to rank them. I suggest take a look at vapor pressure tables. The stronger intermolecular forces, the higher the vp.

oops, the lower the vp.