EVAPORATION & INTERMOLECULAR ATTRACTIONS | 115

Evaporation and Intermolecular Attractions

OBJECTIVES:
• Explore the relationship between intermolecular forces and rate of evaporation
• Relate intermolecular forces to molecular structure
DISCUSSION:
Evaporation is an endothermic process: molecules can break free of a liquid-phase system by
taking in heat from the surroundings. This can cause a measurable temperature decrease in the
surroundings. Other factors being equal, the higher the rate at which molecules leave the liquid
surface, the more extreme the temperature drop.
Ease of evaporation (like liquid viscosity and boiling point temperature) gives us insight into the
forces of intermolecular attraction. As those forces get stronger, evaporation becomes a slower
process. In today’s lab exercise, you will work with two types of organic liquids–normal alkanes
(general formula CnH2n+2) and primary alcohols (general formula CnH2n+1OH). The alkanes, as
nonpolar molecules, can exert only London forces (temporary dipole-induced dipole forces) on
each other. In contrast, the alcohols each have an H-atom bonded to the small, highly
electronegative O-atom, giving the additional possibility of dipole-dipole and hydrogen bonding
forces between the alcohol molecules.
Your temperature measurements will give an indication of the relative strengths of the London
forces between alkanes of different molecular weights, and an indication of the relative strengths
of London forces between alkanes and London + dipole + H-bonding forces between alcohols of
similar molecular weights.
PROCEDURE:
1. Prepare two wet-bulb thermometers, as follows. Obtain two thermometers of the same type
(same temperature range, and both full-immersion, or both emergent stem). Slip a rubber
band up the stem of each thermometer, then roll a square of filter paper into the shape of a
cylinder around the thermometer bulb. Slip the rubber band down over the wrapped paper to
secure it so that the lower edge of the paper is even with the tip of the thermometer bulb.
2. Pour ethanol about 3 cm deep into a 13x100 mm test tube. Pour approximately the same
volume of 1-propanol into a second test tube, then mount both tubes in your test tube rack.
Stand thermometer 1 in the ethanol (C2H5OH) test tube, and thermometer 2 in the 1-propanol
(C3H7OH) test tube.
3. After the thermometers have been in the tubes for at least 45 s, read and record the liquid
temperatures, to the full available precision. For a thermometer calibrated in single degrees,
you should estimate the reading to 0.1 °C. Take a second temperature reading, 20 s later, with
the thermometers still immersed.
4. Simultaneously remove the thermometers from the test tubes and tape them to the lab bench
so that the wrapped ends extend 5 cm over the edge of the bench top. Stopper the test tubes.
Continue reading and recording the temperatures every 20 s, until both readings have reached
minimum values and begun to increase.
5. Roll the rubber band up the thermometer stem and dispose of the filter paper as directed by
your instructor.
6. Complete the first data analysis and answer the questions that follow the first data table.
Record your predicted temperature drop values for the evaporation of 1-butanol (C4H9OH)
116 | CHM151 LL: GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB MANUAL

and n-pentane (C5H12), and have your instructor initial your values. Only then should you
continue with the procedure step 7.
7. Test your prediction from step 6 by repeating steps 1-5, this time using 1-butanol in the first
tube and n-pentane in the second.
8. Complete the second data analysis and answer the questions that follow the second data
table. Record your predicted temperature drop values for the evaporation of methanol
(CH3OH) and n-hexane. Get your instructor’s initials again before proceeding.
9. Test your prediction from step 8 by repeating steps 1-5, this time using methanol in the first
tube and n-hexane in the second.
 EVAPORATION & INTERMOLECULAR ATTRACTIONS | 117

Name Date Score

Prelaboratory Assignment
1. Define these technical terms:
a) evaporation

b) London (dispersion) force

c) hydrogen bonding

2. Two liquid compounds, A and B, have the same molecular weight. Samples of A & B were
placed on temperature probes and allowed to evaporate, as in today’s experimental
procedure. Liquid A had a ∆T of 10.2 °C, and liquid B had a ∆T of 3.7 °C.
a) Which of the two liquids required more energy to overcome intermolecular attractions
and evaporate? Explain your reasoning.

b) Which of the two liquids has higher intermolecular attractions? Explain your reasoning.

c) Is either of the two liquids likely to have London forces as the only intermolecular
attraction? Which one? Explain your reasoning.

Complete the prelab table on the following page.

118 | CHM151 LL: GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB MANUAL

H-Bonding
Molecular Structural Formula Molecular
Compound Possible?
Formula (Lewis structure) Weight
(Y/N)

ethanol C2H5OH

1-propanol C3H7OH

1-butanol C4H9OH

n-pentane C5H12

methanol CH3OH

n-hexane C6H14
 EVAPORATION & INTERMOLECULAR ATTRACTIONS | 119

Name Partner Score

Data and Analysis
Table 1 ethanol 1-propanol
time (s) temperature (°C) temperature (°C)

0 LIQUID

20 LIQUID

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

initial T °C °C

min T °C °C

∆T °C °C

1. Estimate a reasonable temperature drop for the evaporation of 1-butanol. ∆T = °C

2. Estimate a reasonable temperature drop for the evaporation of n-pentane. ∆T = °C
3. Making reference to the factors that influence the strength of intermolecular forces, explain
how you arrived at your estimates.
120 | CHM151 LL: GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB MANUAL

Name Partner Score

Data and Analysis
Table 2 1-butanol n-pentane
time (s) temperature (°C) temperature (°C)

0 LIQUID

20 LIQUID

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

initial T °C °C

min T °C °C

∆T °C °C

4. Estimate a reasonable temperature drop for the evaporation of methanol. ∆T = °C

5. Estimate a reasonable temperature drop for the evaporation of n-hexane. ∆T = °C
6. Making reference to the factors that influence the strength of intermolecular forces, explain
how you arrived at your estimate.
 EVAPORATION & INTERMOLECULAR ATTRACTIONS | 121

Name Partner Score

Data and Analysis
Table 3 methanol n-hexane
time (s) temperature (°C) temperature (°C)

0 LIQUID

20 LIQUID

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

initial T °C °C

min T °C °C

∆T °C °C
122 | CHM151 LL: GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB MANUAL

Questions and Problems

1. Two of the liquids, n-pentane and 1-butanol, had nearly the same molecular weight, but
significantly different ∆T values. Refer to H-bonding, London forces, and rate of evaporation
in your explanation of the cause of this significant difference.

2. Which of the alcohols in this study had the strongest intermolecular attraction? Which had
the weakest intermolecular attraction? Use your experimental results to explain your choice.

3. Which of the alkanes in this study had the strongest intermolecular attraction? Which had the
weakest intermolecular attraction? Use your experimental results to explain your choice.

4. Consider the relationship between molecular weight and rate of evaporation for the four
alcohols in this study. Is rate of evaporation directly or inversely related to molecular weight?
Suggest a cause for this observation.

5. Should rate of evaporation be directly or inversely related to the strength of intermolecular

attraction? Give clear reasons for your choice.
 EVAPORATION & INTERMOLECULAR ATTRACTIONS | 123

Name Date Score

Postlaboratory Assignment
1. Estimate a value of the temperature drop (∆T) for the evaporation of 1-pentanol (C5H11OH)
using the results of your experiment.

2. Ammonia has a molecular weight of 17.0 and is a gas at room temperature (with a normal
boiling point near –35 °C). Water has a molecular weight of 18.0 and is a liquid at room
temperature (normal b.p. of 100 °C). Both molecules have hydrogen bonding available as a
mode of intermolecular attraction. Suggest an explanation for this difference in boiling point
between NH3 and H2O, despite their similar molecular weight and H-bonding capability.
124 | CHM151 LL: GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB MANUAL