Importance Of Molecular Shape And Intermolecular Forces

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There are billions of people on this earth and each is unique in its own way. The same is true for molecules and substances. There are billions of different molecules and substances on earth and each one has unique properties to make it what it is. When looking at some of the smallest characteristics of things, molecular shape and intermolecular forces come into play. Molecular shape and intermolecular forces help determine what physical properties substances and objects have. Each plays a key role. Science is able to break substances down and determine what molecular shape and intermolecular forces have to do with physical properties. The molecular shape of a molecule has a lot to do with how a molecule functions and how it can be used. Molecular shape is the three-dimensional grouping of atoms that make up a molecule.1 It determines several properties of a substance. These include the molecule’s color, reactivity, biological activity, polarity, magnetism, and phase of matter. To decide the shape of a molecule, the Lewis electron dot structure must be drawn. To be clear though, the Lewis dot drawing does not determine the shape of a molecule. It is just the first part in determining the shape of a molecule. The Lewis dot drawing helps to identify the lone pairs and bond pairs of a molecule. Then, with the Lewis dot drawing, the valence-shell electron-pair repulsion (VSPER) theory can be used to determine the molecular geometry and the electron-group geometry of a molecule.2 It is important to know how to draw the Lewis structure of a molecule because that is what everything else that will be stated is based on. The Lewis dot structure can not give any exact answers, but it is an essential guide to determine a ... ... middle of paper ... ...ubstance is. This is because it takes more energy to break the molecules apart. There are many different components that come into play when the physical properties of a substance are being determined. Some ways that the physical properties are able to be predicted is by looking at the molecular shape and intermolecular forces of the molecule. Stated above were some of the many physical properties that can be determined. These included, boiling and melting points, magnetism, vapor pressure, phases of matter, biological activity, polarity, color of the molecule, and reactivity. Scientists use molecular shape and intermolecular forces when looking at molecules because they can explain a lot about the molecule. Just like every person on this earth is unique, so are molecules and substances. This can be accredited to the physical properties that accompany them.

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