Student Exploration: Polarity and Intermolecular Forces
Vocabulary: dipole, dipole-dipole force, dipole-induced dipole force, electronegativity,
intermolecular force, ionic bond, London dispersion force, molecule, nonpolar, nonpolar covalent
bond, partial charges, polar, polar covalent bond, valence electron
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE
using the Gizmo.)
1. A big bully is having a tug-of-war with a small child.
There is a ball attached to the middle of the rope.
Toward whom will the ball move? Big bully
2. Two equally strong kids are having a tug-of-war. What do you expect to happen to the ball in
this situation? The ball will stay in the middle, halfway between them.
Gizmo Warm-up
Just like in a tug-of-war, atoms that are bonded to one another pull
on the electrons they share. In the Polarity and Intermolecular
Forces Gizmo, you will explore how these opposing forces relate to
bond types and the forces between molecules.
To begin, drag the Na (sodium) and Cl (chlorine) atoms into the simulation area. Turn on Show
valence electrons. A valence electron is found in the outermost energy level of the atom.
1. Click Play ( ). What do you notice? The Na atoms shrinks, and the Ci expands. The
orange valence electron moves from the Na to the Ci atom,
2. Which atom seems to be pulling more on the sodium’s one valence electron?
How do you know? The chlorine atom wins the tug of war for the valence electron.
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, 3. What happens to the colors of the simulated atoms, and what does this indicate? The Na
atoms turns blue, indicating a positive charge the Ci atom turns red indicating a
negative charge.
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
On the BOND POLARITY tab, click Reset ( ).
Bond polarity
Drag the atoms out of the simulation area.
Introduction: A neutral atom has the same number of protons as electrons. Atoms that gain
electrons become negatively charged, while those that lose electrons become positive. A polar
bond forms when shared electrons are pulled closer to one atom than another, causing the
bonded atoms to become partially charged. In a nonpolar bond, electrons are shared equally.
Question: What causes bonds to be polar or nonpolar?
1. Observe: Select the Show polar molecule inset checkbox. The animation shows the
probable location of electrons (orange dots) in a polar molecule.
A. What do you notice about the distribution of the electrons? There is more electron
on the left side than on the right.
B. How does this electron distribution affect the charges of the bonded atoms? The
metal will lose electrons from their valence shells and become positive ion
while nonmetal gain electron and their valence shell will become negative ion.
2. Observe: Turn on the Show nonpolar molecule inset.
A. How are the electrons in this molecule distributed? The electrons are evenly
distributed between the two atoms.
B. Why do the bonded atoms remain neutral? Overall, neither atoms has gained or
lost electrons.
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