Learning Objective: To study how ionic solids and dipoles of polar liquids interact and their strength.
Skill Level - Intermediate
Prerequisites:
Ions
Ionic solid
Chapter: Intermolecular Forces
Sub-topic: Ion-Dipole Interactions
Author's Note: You wouldn't have had any tasty food if salt didn't mix with water, nor would the kidneys remove urine and other electrolytes. Spraying plants with Epsom salt solution or even de-icing using Calcium Chloride is possible only when they mix. Such interactions between ionic solids and polar liquids like water would only occur if they formed an attractive bond, known as the ion-dipole interaction. This section covers how an ion is caged by polar solvents, explaining the interaction in terms of heat released and their strength when compared to other non-bonding attractive interactions found in chemistry.
Ion - Dipole Interactions | Introduction and Occurrence
Your most curious experiment as a child must have been mixing liquids and solids. You must have tried mixing oil with water, making lemonade with sugar and water, or blending two paints to produce a new color.
After a few years in junior high school chemistry class, you must have learned that those simple liquids and solids had special names and could be classified. Based on their structure, the solids are called - ionic, molecular, covalent, and metallic. Similarly, liquids are classified as polar or nonpolar.
You must have also learned that any two substances could only dissolve if they interact. Remember the saying – like dissolves like. One such type of interaction between ionic solids and polar liquids is the ion-dipole interaction. This type of interaction is seen when salt is mixed with water.
What are the Ions and a Dipole ?
Ion-dipole interactions are the intermolecular forces of attraction between charge-carrying ions and a polar molecule.
The ion can be positive like Na+, K+ or negatively charged like Cl-,Br‑, etc., obtained by the complete loss and gain of electrons.
A polar molecule has dissimilar atoms forming a covalent bond creating polar (opposite-negative and positive) ends. For example, molecules H2O, NH3, HF, etc., have atoms of two types.
Here, one atom pulls the .....
How an Ion- Dipole interactions occur?
Ion-dipole interactions occur when ....
It is observed that only polar solvents can interact....
The ions and the dipole always orient ....
This cage formed between the ions and the surrounding....
The order of strength of ion-based interactions is as....
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Next: Factors affecting the strength of Ion - Dipole interactions
Next: Application of Ion - Dipole Interactions
