Water is weird

Alisahhh1998

Water has London forces, dipole -dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding, why isn't it a solid? Because with all of these intermolecular forces shouldn't it be really hard for it to be in liquid form because you have to break some of the intermolecular forces at high energy because of how stable the molecule is together so the atoms are more moveable?

Reply 1

GettingitDone

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Sigh.....Im too tired to explain so direct you to google.

Reply 2

Alisahhh1998

OP

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Original post by GettingitDone

Sigh.....Im too tired to explain so direct you to google.

Thanks for that! Surely typing it here was less effort! I didn't get it that's why I came here 😑

why is water wet?

OP

Original post by sleepysnooze

why is water wet?

I feel like I should know this but I don't 😭😭

Reply 5

sleepysnooze

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Original post by Alisahhh1998

I feel like I should know this but I don't 😭😭

why is fire hot? why is ice cold? so many mysteries of reality

Reply 6

Alisahhh1998

OP

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Original post by sleepysnooze

why is fire hot? why is ice cold? so many mysteries of reality

Oh that wasn't you being helpful, just useless.

Reply 7

blackcurrent101

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water is found in a liquid state. This is because of the tiny, weak hydrogen bonds which, in their billions, hold water molecules together for small fractions of a second. Water molecules are constantly on the move.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 8

Alisahhh1998

OP

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Original post by Ishea16

water is found in a liquid state. This is because of the tiny, weak hydrogen bonds which, in their billions, hold water molecules together for small fractions of a second. Water molecules are constantly on the move.

Then shouldn't everything be in liquid form because some things only have London forces (which are the weakest) but are still solid?

Reply 9

SANTR

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Original post by Alisahhh1998

Water has London forces, dipole -dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding, why isn't it a solid? Because with all of these intermolecular forces shouldn't it be really hard for it to be in liquid form because you have to break some of the intermolecular forces at high energy because of how stable the molecule is together so the atoms are more moveable?

It may be to do with the strength of the intermolecular forces.

Reply 10

Alisahhh1998

OP

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Original post by SANTR

It may be to do with the strength of the intermolecular forces.

I thought hydrogen bonds are the strongest intermolecular force? Water contains all three intermolecular force (to my a level knowlegde)

Reply 11

blackcurrent101

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Original post by Alisahhh1998

Then shouldn't everything be in liquid form because some things only have London forces (which are the weakest) but are still solid?

yh and those things that have London forces are liquid
and they are only held for a fraction of a second so maybe for a moment they are solid but then change the molecules make new dipoles and so it they dont stay in that from??

Reply 12

Alisahhh1998

OP

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Original post by Ishea16

yh and those things that have London forces are liquid
and they are only held for a fraction of a second so maybe for a moment they are solid but then change the molecules make new dipoles and so it they dont stay in that from??

Graphite is in solid form and only has London forces (as far as I'm aware)

Reply 13

S.G.

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Original post by Alisahhh1998

I thought hydrogen bonds are the strongest intermolecular force? Water contains all three intermolecular force (to my a level knowlegde)

Hydrogen bonds are the strongest intermolecular forces. But there are stronger forces then hydrogen bonds that are not intermolecular.

Ionic bonding, metallic bonding is stronger for example. Hence solid.

Reply 14

blackcurrent101

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Original post by Alisahhh1998

Graphite is in solid form and only has London forces (as far as I'm aware)

it has van der waals so London forces and instantaneous dipole ones aswell

Reply 15

SANTR

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Original post by SGHD26716

Hydrogen bonds are the strongest intermolecular forces. But there are stronger forces then hydrogen bonds that are not intermolecular.

Ionic bonding, metallic bonding is stronger for example. Hence solid.

Isn't the state of a substance determined by the intermolecular forces and not the bonds between atoms i.e. the bonds within a molecule?

Reply 16

SANTR

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Original post by Alisahhh1998

Graphite is in solid form and only has London forces (as far as I'm aware)

Graphite is a macromolecule. It has a large network of covalent bonds which have to be broke and hence it has a very high melting and boiling point.
It does have Van der Waals forces between the hexagonal layers, however, this only causes the layers to slide past eachother. Energy is required to break most of the covalent bonds in graphite in order to break the lattice structure.

Reply 17

S.G.

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Original post by SANTR

Isn't the state of a substance determined by the intermolecular forces and not the bonds between atoms i.e. the bonds within a molecule?

The state of a substance is determined by its structure, I believe.

Intermolecular forces are forces between molecules

Ionic and metallic bonding is between individual atoms