How would you describe the intermolecular forces between #H_2# molecules and #NH_3# molecules in the liquid phase?
1 Answer
Dispersion forces operate in liquid dihydrogen........
Explanation:
And the low magnitude of such forces result in an exceptionally low boiling point. This site quotes a normal boiling point of
And yet there is another more potent intermolecular force that operates in ammonia (as it does in water), that of hydrogen bonding. Because nitrogen is more electronegative than hydrogen, we could represent the resultant dipole as
This boiling point is high for such a small molecule. The normal boiling point of water,
And ammonia is thus a water like solvent, that is extensively used in inorganic chemistry. The reaction of sodium in liquid ammonia, to give an intensely blue solution, is something to see.