HASPI Medical Chemistry Lab 3b

Intermolecular Forces Round Robin

Teacher Information
Lab Overview
In this lab students experience intermolecular forces through four mini-labs. They study
surface tension, volatility, polarity & surfactants and read about the connection to
medicine. It is best to have students arrive at a station, do the pre-lab reading and
questions, then perform the lab and complete the post-lab reading & questions before
they move on to the next station. This is a great opportunity for students to find out
more about intermolecular forces.
Next Generation Science Standards
NGSS/Common Core State Standards
Students who demonstrate understanding can:

HS-PS1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the structure of substances at

the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
Medical Application: Students study surface tension as it has to do with the
lungs, surfactants as it has to do with premature birth complications, volatility
& anesthesia, and the importance of polarity as it pertains to medicine receptor
sites.
Science and Engineering
Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting
Concepts
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter Patterns
Planning and Carrying Out
Each atom has a charged substructure
Different patterns may
consisting of a nucleus, which is made of
Investigations
be observed at each of
Plan and conduct an investigation protons and neutrons, surrounded by
the scales at which a
individually and collaboratively to electrons.
system is studied and
produce data to serve as the basis The periodic table orders elements horizontally can provide evidence for
by the number of protons in the atoms
for evidence, and in the design:
causality in explanations
nucleus and places those with similar chemical of phenomena.
decide on types, how much, and
accuracy of data needed to produce properties in columns. The repeating patterns
of this table reflect patterns of outer electron
reliable measurements and
states.
consider limitations on the
precision of the data (e.g., number The structure and interactions of matter at the
of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine bulk scale are determined by electrical forces
within and between atoms.
the design accordingly.
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: HS.ESS2.C
MS.PS1.A;MS.PS2.B

Articulation of DCIs across grade-bands:

Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy RST.1

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important
1distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. (HS-PS1-3)
12.1
WHST
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self.9generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize
12.7
multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (HSPS1-3)
WHST
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
.11searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task,
12.8
purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,

HASPI Medical Chemistry Unit 3: Intramolecular & Intermolecular Forces

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Lab 3b

avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (HSPS1-3)
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (HS-PS1-3)

WHST
.912.9
Common Core State Standards Connections: Mathematics HSNUse units as a way to understand problems and to guide the solution of multi-step problems; choose and
Q.A.1
interpret units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the scale and the origin in graphs and data
displays. (HS-PS1-3)

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Lab 3b

Objectives
By the end of this activity students will be able to:
Have an increased understanding of the varying strengths of intermolecular forces.
Identify the intermolecular force at work by comparing the volatility or surface
tension of different substances with different forces
Describe the effect of breaking the surface tension of a substance by adding a
surfactant
Time
Estimated Time
Setup: 30 minutes

Actual Time (please make note below)

Each station takes 15 20 minutes to

complete
*You may want to have this set up over 2 days if you have less than 1 hour.
Materials This lab is not supported in the HASPI kit
Supplies needed for 5 sections
4 sets of each station = 16 stations to
rotate through
Student Handouts
Station Information Sheets In color if possible!
Plastic Sleeves for Station Information
Pipettes or Dropper Bottles

Quantity
1 per student
4 for each
station
16
Station 1
16

Company/
Item #

Approximat
e
Cost

Costco or Staples

$12-20 for
100+
Bottles $20
Pipettes $2

DI or Distilled Water
Ethanol
Soapy Water
Mineral Oil

4
4
4
4

Plastic Sleeve

Flinn #AP4575
#AP1718
Grocery Store
Flinn #E0009
Walmart or Drug
Store
Costco or Staples

16

GP1010

$12-20 for
100+
$50

Varies

$5

GP7034
Varies

$15 for 250

$1

Walmart or Drug
Store
-

$2

Flinn #E0009

$6

100mL Beaker (if not using dropper bottles) or

cups
Paper towels or cleaning wipes

1 per lab group

Station 2
Test Tube
12
Cotton Swab (Q-Tip) dont use one with plastic
12
parts
Acetone (look for pure acetone nail polish
Less than
remover)
50mL
Water
Less than
50mL
Ethanol
Less than
50mL
Lab Station Top
Test Tube holder or Beaker to hold test tubes
4

$6
$2

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Lab 3b

Balloon
Water (DI not required)
Burette & Stand* See notes for alternative
options
250mL Beaker or bigger
Petri Dish
Whole Milk (1/2 gallon or gallon)
Bottle or beaker for milk
Food Coloring 2 colors per station
Cotton Swabs
Soap

Station 3
4
200mL
4
4
Station 4
4
~15 mL/group
4
8
50-100
Less than
50mL

Varies
Flinn #GP1087 or
#AP8752
Amazon Just syringe
Flinn #GP1020
Flinn #AP8170
Grocery Store
varies
Dollar Store or
WalMart
Dollar Store or
WalMart
Dollar Store or
WalMart

$1
$227, $30
$10
$15
$5 for 20
$3-5
$2-5
$2-5
$1-2

Lab Setup
This lab is best setup as stations to minimize the equipment you will need. Set up
multiples of each station so that students can rotate through them all. Students do not
have to do the stations in any specific order.
Materials
Print out one of each lab station handout for each station you will have. It is
recommended that you put the handout in a plastic sleeve so that they last
the whole day. You may also choose to tape the handout in the plastic sleeve
to the desk so that students don't move it to the wrong station.
Station 1 Surface Tension
It is by far easiest to create 4 dropper bottles of each substance and place
them on the lab station. If you put each substance in a beaker or cup and
use pipettes you may want to label each pipette so they dont get mixed up
and contaminate your solutions for the day. Students will drop their droplets
but will need to wipe down the plastic sleeve before moving on, so provide a
paper towel or wet wipes. Alternatively, you can provide small wax paper
squares for them to make the droplets on that can just be thrown away after
each group. If you create dropper bottles you can keep them in a box to
reuse year after year! This makes set up the first year take some time but
after that set up is a breeze!
Station 2 Volatility
This is a really quick mini-lab but so fascinating. Students will simply take
the cotton swab out of each substance and draw a line on the table with it.
This works best on dark surfaces (like a black lab bench) so if you are doing
this activity on desks or tables you can try to find a dark piece of plastic to
use instead. The back of a 3 ring binder may work for this. The acetone
evaporates very quickly and doesnt dissolve a plastic surface.
DO NOT USE A PLATIC TEST TUBE. Acetone will begin to dissolve many types
of plastic, so it is strongly recommended that you use a glass test tube.
**Common misconception: the water beads up so it looks a bit like its
evaporating, so be sure to help students see that this is a form of strong
intermolecular forces because its so strongly attracted that it holds together.
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This is the shortest station so students often have extra time here. They can
try writing their name with acetone
Station 3 Polarity
In this station students use a balloon charged with electrons to attract the
water as it comes out of a burette. They rub the balloon on their head to add
static charge. Be sure the beaker is under the stream of water and
beware--- the stream can move significantly and the area will likely get wet.
Place a bin or larger water collecting device below if you need to keep the
area dry.
If you dont have burettes, you can actually do this with water right out of a
faucet, or you can use a 60mL syringe with a luerlock valve. Remove the
plunger, fill it with water and it acts just like a burette (example:
http://goo.gl/7VJHgq). If you dont have a valve it will still work- just provide
an extra beaker so they can pour the water into the syringe and let it stream
out of the syringe.
Station 4 Surfactants
You should use whole milk for this lab since it depends on the fats in the milk
to work properly. Each station needs a small bottle of milk and a place to
dump the milk after each use. You also want to provide a trash for the
cotton swabs. Place 2 types of food coloring at each station.
You can also make a soap water solution half soap, half water and put it in a
dropper bottle to replace the cotton swabs.
Connections & Applications

Have students experiment with different products using the same techniques
Have students research careers in anesthesia, pharmacy, pulmonary care and
neonatal care.
Resources & References
Adapted from http://reasonandrealism.blogspot.com/2008/03/chemistry-intermolecularforces-lab.html
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/surface-tension.html
http://fusedglass.org/learn/project_tutorials/kiln_pressed_glass_surface_tension
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ptens2.html
http://www.rise.duke.edu/apep/pages/page.html?000927
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonary_surfactant
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ptens2.html
http://www.fasebj.org/content/18/13/1624e.full
http://www.riversideonline.com/health_reference/Disease-Conditions/DS00482.cfm?
RenderForPrint=1
http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/2-inhalation-anesthetics-/deck/5839769
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/492432_3
http://www.howequipmentworks.com/physics/agent_delivery/vaporizer/vaporizers.html
http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/exam-1-chapters-1-4/deck/5376173
http://www.quarkology.com/12-chemistry/92-production-materials/92C-ethanol.html
http://astarmathsandphysics.com/ib-physics-notes/126-thermal-physics/1462evaporation.html
http://greenhealthmagazine.org/anesthesia-and-the-environment/
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http://asevet.com/resources/circuits/circle.htm
http://www.dlrgenchem.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_polarity
http://socratic.org/questions/why-are-metallic-compounds-insoluble-in-water-1
http://faculty.weber.edu/ewalker/Medicinal_Chemistry/topics/Cardio/cardio.htm
http://dir.indiamart.com/impcat/laboratory-burette.html

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Lab 3b

INTERMOLECULAR FORCES LAB

STATION 1 SURFACE TENSION
http://fusedglass.org/learn/project_tutorials/kiln_pressed_glass_surface_tension

LEARNING TARGET:

You should be able to identify the comparative strength of intermolecular forces through
observations of the surface tension in droplets.

BACKGROUND:

When the molecules in a liquid are attracted to each other, the

outer molecules create a membrane like surface. These outer
molecules are strongly attracted to each other and can be hard
to permeate (or cross).
Liquids with stronger intermolecular forces will create a bigger
mound because the molecules pull together strongly. The force
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/surface-tension.html that pulls the molecules together causes the molecules to pack
closer together, reducing the surface area as the droplets mound together.
The type of intermolecular force determines the strength of the attraction between
molecules.
A liquid with very weak intermolecular forces will end up being somewhat flat because
the molecules cannot pull together.
strong
weak
Molecules with hydrogen bonds have the
strongest attraction. Hydrogen bonds form
because the O and H have a big difference in
electronegativity resulting in a polar molecule. http://fusedglass.org/learn/project_tutorials/kiln_pressed_glass_surface_tension
Dipole-Dipole bonds are the second strongest intermolecular force, and the atoms have
smaller differences in electronegativity.
Basic dispersion forces are normally the weakest. Elements like C and H have a similar
electronegativity so they are non-polar and have very weak attractions.

MEDICAL APPLICATION:
Breathe Easy, you have low Surface Tension
As we breathe the lungs need to fill up with air so that tiny
pockets of air, called alveoli, can expand allowing the
oxygen to pass through the walls of the alveoli. Most of
your inner respiratory surfaces are covered in mucus, but
this is a fluid with a lot of surface tension so that it is hard
for oxygen to get through it.

http://www.rise.duke.edu/apep/pages/page.html?000927

Anywhere there is a boundary between air and liquid there is

a virtual "membrane" which we call surface tension. In the
lungs, this is the place where the air you breathe in meets
the alveoli, or lung tissue. The surface tension must be
broken in order for the oxygen to pass through.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ptens2.html

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In order to allow the oxygen to permeate the walls of the alveoli and pass into the blood
stream, a substance called surfactant is produced by the lungs, significantly reducing the
surface tension so that oxygen can easily pass through. Breathing works even though
there is only about 1mmHg pressure difference between the air and where it will go and
we can thank surfactant for that.

INTERMOLECULAR FORCES
STATION 1 PRE-LAB QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What determines the strength of the attraction between molecules?

What kind of intermolecular forces have the weakest attraction?
What will be your evidence that a substance has strong intermolecular forces?
Where does air need to pass through in order to be absorbed by the body?
Does the surface tension need to be high or low in order to let oxygen pass through?

MAKE A HYPOTHESIS:
What do you expect will happen when you make droplets of each substance? Which
substance will create the largest mound and which will make a small flat mound?
strong

MATERIALS

Plastic Sleeve
Pipettes
Water

Ethanol
Soapy
water
Oil

weak

http://fusedglass.org/learn/project_tutorials/kiln_pressed_glass_surface_tension

PROCEDURE
On the plastic sleeve, add 10 drops of one of the substances into a pile and draw the
shape as viewed from the side into your observation portion of your handout. Repeat for
each additional substance.
Wipe down the plastic sleeve with a paper towel or wet wipe before moving to the next
station.

CONCLUSION
Your purpose was to find the liquid with the most surface tension and the least surface
tension. The hypothesis may have been that water will have the highest surface tension
because it has hydrogen bonds. Because ethanol has only one hydrogen bond it has
weaker intermolecular forces. The soapy water has no hydrogen bonds because the
soap breaks up the interactions between water, so it has weaker forces. Oil has only
carbon-hydrogen bonds, so it is the weakest. This implies that it has dispersion forces.
These weak forces mean that the molecules aren't attracted to each other and create a
smaller mound when you add the droplets.

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS
1. List the substances by order of surface tension
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2. Propane has only carbon-hydrogen bonds. Considering what you have learned, what
kind of force would this substance have?
What would you expect the droplets to look like if you had propane to experiment with?

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Lab 3b

INTERMOLECULAR
FORCES LAB
STATION 2 VOLATILITY
http://astarmathsandphysics.com/ib-physics-notes/126-thermal-physics/1462-evaporation.html

LEARNING TARGET

You should understand the effects of intermolecular forces on the volatility of a

substance.

BACKGROUND
Have you ever noticed that some substances evaporate more quickly than others? For
instance, when you wash your hands you need a paper towel, however when you use hand
sanitizer the liquid just "disappears"... the reason for this is that those two chemicals have
different volatility.
Volatility is a measure of the ability of a substance to evaporate. This quality depends on the
intermolecular forces and the vapor pressure of the substance. This can change as
temperature changes, because a substance at a higher temperature has a higher vapor
pressure. When the vapor pressure exceeds the atmospheric pressure.
Evaporation occurs when the vapor moves away from the surface of the liquid. If a molecule
gains enough kinetic energy to overcome the intermolecular forces it will vaporize. The
lower the force, the quicker the substance will evaporate. Water has high intermolecular
forces so it takes lots more time to evaporate than a non-polar substance such as acetone
which has very high volatility. A substance that evaporates more has a higher concentration
in the air, so you will likely smell a volatile compound more strongly than a compound with
strong intermolecular forces.

MEDICAL APPLICATION
Putting you to sleep thanks to volatility
Volatility is a key characteristic of many anesthetic
agents. Due to the fact that many anesthesia
medications are inhaled, these medications need to
evaporate quickly so that they can be breathed in. They
also need to be able to be released from the blood stream
fairly easily so that the effects of the anesthesia wear off
quickly once the procedure ends.

http://greenhealthmagazine.org/anesthesia-and-the-environment/

If a drug is a liquid in a vial, yet it needs to be inhaled, there are two ways to administer the
drug. Some drugs are made into a spray, however, in the case of anesthesia, this would
result in a lot of liquid gathering in the lungs because it must be given over time.
The administration of anesthesia is best done as a gas. If the
medication came as a gas it would take up a huge amount of
room, so having a medication which is liquid with high volatility is
a much easier way to administer the drug. As air passes over the
liquid it easily picks up the medication if it is highly volatile. The
patient then breathes in the air and remains unconscious.

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Lab 3b

The volatility is also important so that the anesthesia can leave the blood stream. Once the
procedure is over the blood can easily release the medication into the lungs as you exhale so
that the patient can just breathe away the medication. The more volatile the substance the
more quickly it will leave the body. This means that anesthetics usually have weak
intermolecular forces, such as dispersion forces.

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Lab 3b

INTERMOLECULAR FORCES
STATION 2 PRE-LAB QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What is volatility?
What can allow a molecule to vaporize?
What kind of medicine depends on volatility?
How is it best to administer anesthesia?
What intermolecular force would be best in the case of anesthesia?

MAKE A HYPOTHESIS:
Which substance will evaporate the fastest and which will be the slowest?

MATERIALS

Acetone
Water

Ethanol
Cotton Swabs

Table top
Test tubes

PROCEDURE
Look at the three different containers filled with water, ethanol, and acetone respectively.
Put a different cotton swab into each liquid. At simultaneously pull out each swab and
draw a straight line on the table top and record how long it takes for each liquid to
evaporate completely.

CONCLUSION
Today you determined which liquid evaporated fastest.
The faster the evaporation, the lower the intermolecular
forces. We hypothesized that acetone would be the most
volatile because it has the weakest intermolecular forces.
Water has two hydrogen bonds so it takes a lot of energy
to vaporize so it is the last to evaporate. Ethanol lands
somewhere in the middle, as a substance with just the
one hydrogen bond, so it will evaporate more quickly
than water, but longer than acetone.

http://www.dlrgenchem.com/

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS
1. Which of the substances evaporated faster? What does this tell you about its
intermolecular forces?
2. Which of the substances evaporated slowest? What does this tell you about its
intermolecular forces?
3. Which of the substances seemed to smell the strongest? Use your knowledge from
the experiment to explain why that substance made it to your nose most quickly.

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INTERMOLECULAR FORCES LAB

STATION 3 POLARITY
LEARNING TARGET

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_polarity

You should be able to identify that the more polar a molecule is the stronger its
intermolecular forces.

BACKGROUND
There are many forces within a molecule that
affect the way the molecule interacts with other
molecules. These forces are generally a result
of varying electronegativity between the atoms
in a molecule.

A highly electronegative atom attracts the

electrons, drawing them away from other parts
http://socratic.org/questions/why-are-metallic-compounds-insoluble-in-water-1 of the molecule. This leads the molecule to
have partial charges. The more electronegative
areas have a partial negative charge, while the less electronegative areas have a partial
positive charge because the electrons have been drawn away.
Water

This polarity, or partial

charge, causes
the molecule to be
attracted to
anything else with a
charge. In this
case, by rubbing the
balloon on your
head it collects electrons,
making it
negatively charged. By
passing the
Ethanol
balloon near the liquid
streaming from
http://www.quarkology.com/12-chemistry/92-production-materials/92C-ethanol.html
the burette you attract
the polar
molecules towards the balloon. A liquid made from polar molecules (like water) is highly
attracted to the balloon, causing the stream to bend.

MEDICAL APPLICATION

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http://faculty.weber.edu/ewalker

Here the sulfonamide drug binds just right with the enzyme called Carbonic Anhydrase. This acts in th
Hi doc, can I get something polar?
Medications need to bind to their receptors or target molecules in order to work, but how
do they bind? It turns out that receptors have partially charged areas that match the
polarity of the medication so that they are attracted to each other and fit just right like a
puzzle piece.
In the diagram you can see that the oxygen atoms (which would be partially negative)
are connected by a hydrogen bond to the positive hydrogen atoms nearby. These
attractions allow the medication to bind.
As the medication comes into contact with the enzyme in this case, it sticks to it so that
the normal biological compound cannot bind. When we want to make a new drug, one of
the important things to look at is the shape and partial charges in the target molecule or
receptor. If we can make a computer model of the biological target we can then test
potential drugs digitally by having computers calculate the polarities and shapes. If the
computer thinks it's a match then the drug can be made
and tested. If the charges don't match then another
molecule can be made.

STATION 3 PRE-LAB QUESTIONS

1. What creates the forces within a molecule?
2. What areas have a partial positive charge within a
molecule?
3. What are polar molecules attracted to?
4. What allows a medication to bind to the receptor or
target molecules in the body?

MAKE A HYPOTHESIS:
What will happen when water is exposed to a negatively
charged balloon?

MATERIALS

Burette filled with water with a beaker below

Balloon

PROCEDURE
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Lab 3b

http://dir.indiamart.com/impcat/laboratory-burette.html

Pour water a burette; place a beaker under the burette. Charge a balloon by rubbing it on
your head. Place the balloon a little bit to the side, and underneath a burette and turn it
on. Observe the deflection angle.

CONCLUSION
You should have observed the water deflect significantly when the negatively charged
balloon is brought near the stream. This supports our hypothesis that a polar substance
will be attracted to the balloon.

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS
1. What was on the balloon that caused it to become negative?
2. What happened when water was exposed to the negatively charged balloon?

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3. Write a sentence describing what happened as it relates to the polarity of the

water molecule.

INTERMOLECULAR FORCES LAB: STATION

4 SURFACTANTS
LEARNING TARGET
You should be able to investigate the effects of adding a surfactant to break the surface
tension.

BACKGROUND
Intro:
In some chemical reactions the result is something
instant and unexpected. The reason for it is often
unknown at first. In this case, the result is caused
by the changes in intermolecular forces. Milk has
several lactose molecules, which are rich in
hydrogen bonds and are also very fatty. These
molecules are normally attracted to each other and
create surface tension. In the beginning the food
coloring has no effect on the milk. Adding a drop of
soap though causes everything to go crazy, why?
The soap acts as a surfactant. It breaks the surface
tension, so each molecule of milk it touches is no
longer attracted to the other molecules. On a
molecular level, the soap breaks the attraction
between the molecules. When those molecules can no longer stay together they are
drawn down by gravity and pushed away by the other parts of the milk that were not
affected by the soap, because when the surface tension in the middle is broken, the
sides have a much stronger surface tension.

MEDICAL APPLICATION
Baby's breath
Surfactants are a chemical which breaks surface tension in the lungs, allowing the
oxygen to pass into the bloodstream. We all make surfactant naturally.
When babies are born prematurely one of the biggest concerns is that they may not have
begun to produce surfactant. Babies don't need surfactant until they breathe when they
are born, because before that they get all of their oxygen straight from the mother's
blood. This means it is one of the last developments before birth.
A baby born without enough surfactant is in danger of having their lungs collapse
because the alveoli cannot stay open when the baby exhales. There are two ways to
treat this. First, if the doctor suspects the baby might be born early the mother can be
given steroid shots to stimulate the baby to begin creating the surfactant. If this is not
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an option, doctors can give the baby synthetic surfactant until the baby begins to
produce it themselves.
When the surfactant hits the lungs, the oxygen that the baby breathes in is now able to
cross through the membrane of the alveoli into the bloodstream. These surfactants have
saved the life of many preemies, as it breaks up the mucus and lets the good air in!

STATION 4 PRE-LAB QUESTIONS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What causes the milk molecules to be attracted to each other?

What does the soap act as?
What breaks the surface tension?
Why don't babies need surfactant before birth?
What are the treatments for a premature baby lacking surfactant?

MAKE A HYPOTHESIS:
What will happen to the surface of the milk if a surfactant is added?

MATERIALS

Petri dish

milk

food
coloring

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soap

Lab 3b

PROCEDURE
Pour enough milk to cover the bottom of your Petri dish. Carefully add 4 drops of food
coloring evenly spread on the surface of the milk. Add a drop of soap to the

CONCLUSION
The fatty milk which had even surface tension across the top held the food coloring in
place. The added drop of non-polar liquid soap acted as a surfactant and began to
break down the fatty milk molecules (lipids) and resulted in a lowered surface tension
in that area. Because surface tension tries to make the smallest possible area it pulls
towards the place of highest surface tension, in this case where the liquid soap didnt
touch: the outsides of the petri dish. This imbalance in surface tension is what pulls
the food coloring out towards the edges of the dish. The food coloring merely acted to
show the movement of the surface of the milk and was not actually a requirement of
the reaction. When a baby's lungs have a surfactant (similar to the soap on the milk)
the surface tension is broken and they can breathe better.

CONCLUSION QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What happened to the particles in the milk when the soap touched the surface
What was the effect of the soap on the molecular level
As you place the soap on the milk, where is surface tension the highest?
How is this similar to a baby's ability to breathe?
What was the purpose of the food coloring in this experiment?

INTERMOLECULAR FORCES LAB STUDENT REPORT

NAME:

STATION 1 SURFACE TENSION

Prelab Questions
1. What determines the strength of
2. What kind of intermolecular
the attraction between molecules?
forces have the weakest attraction?
3. What will be your evidence
4. What do you call the pockets of air
that a substance has strong
that oxygen must pass through in
intermolecular forces?
order to be absorbed by the body?
5. Does the surface tension need to be high or low in order to let oxygen pass through?
Make a Hypothesis:
Observations during the lab: Draw the side view of each substance (how tall is the mound?)
Conclusion Questions
1. List the substances by order of
surface tension
Highest Surface Tension

Lowest Surface Tension

2. Propane has only carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Considering what you have learned, what kind of force
would this substance have?
What would you expect the droplets to look like if you
had propane to experiment with?

STATION 2 VOLATILITY
Prelab Questions
1. What is volatility?

2. When can a molecule vaporize?

3. What kind of medicine

4. In what state is it best to
is dependent on volatility?
administer anesthesia?
5. What intermolecular force would be best in the case of anesthesia?
Make a Hypothesis:
Observations during the lab

Conclusion Questions
1. Which of the substances evaporated
faster?

2. Which of the substances evaporated

slowest?

What does this tell you about its

intermolecular forces?

What does this tell you about its

intermolecular forces?

3. Which of the substances seemed to smell the strongest? Use your knowledge from
the experiment to explain why that substance made it to your nose most quickly.

STATION 3 POLARITY
Prelab Questions
1. What creates the forces within a
molecule?
3. What are polar molecules attracted to?

2. What areas have a partial positive

charge within a molecule?
4. What allows a medication to bind to the
receptor or target molecules in the body?

Make a Hypothesis:
Observations during the lab

Conclusion Questions
1. What was on the balloon that caused it
to become negative?

2. What happened when water was

exposed to the negatively charged
balloon?

3. Write a sentence describing what happened as it relates to the polarity of the water
molecule.

STATION 4 SURFACTANTS
Prelab Questions
1. What causes the milk
molecules to be attracted
to each other?
3. What breaks the surface tension?

2. What does the soap act as?

4. Why don't babies need surfactant
before birth?

5. What are the treatments for a

premature baby lacking surfactant?
Make a Hypothesis:
Observations during the lab

Conclusion Questions
1. What happened to the particles in the
milk when the soap touched the surface

2. What was the effect of the soap on the

molecular level

3. As you place the soap on the milk,

where is surface tension the highest?

4. How is this similar to a baby's ability to

breathe?

5. What was the purpose of the food coloring in this experiment?