Intermolecular Attractions and Boiling Point

All molecules attract to each other.

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Have you ever wondered why different substances have different boiling points? Molecular attractions are the answer!

Molecules can be either polar or nonpolar

  • polar molecules don't share electrons evenly
  • non-polar molecules share electrons evenly

All molecules, polar and non-polar, have an attraction for other molecules via the Coulomb force—the attractive force between positive and negative charges. But wait—if opposite charges attract, how do non-polar (non-charged) molecules form attractions?

How are polar and non-polar molecules different? (Real atoms do not have blue and red areas, so color doesn't count!)

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