Learning outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Use electronegativity to classify bonds as nonpolar covalent, polar covalent, or ionic, and use molecular shape to decide whether a molecule is polar.
• Describe London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces, and hydrogen bonds, and identify which ones act in a given substance.
• Use intermolecular forces to predict and explain boiling points, including water's unusually high boiling point.
• Explain evaporation, surface tension, and solubility ("like dissolves like") in terms of intermolecular forces.

Standards alignment

• HS-PS1-3 NGSS: Gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
• HS-PS2-6 NGSS: Communicate why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials.
• SEP 3, 4 NGSS Science and Engineering Practices: plan and carry out investigations; analyze and interpret data.

Includes

Four stages: bond and molecule polarity (five bonds, six molecules), animated models of London, dipole-dipole, and hydrogen-bonding forces with a sorting challenge, four boiling-point investigations including the water anomaly, and three bench experiments (evaporation race, drops on a penny, like dissolves like); and a printable lab worksheet. A teacher answer key is available from Logical Home Schooling. To go deeper on surface tension, cohesion, adhesion, and capillary action, see Surface Tension Lab.

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