Chemical Bonds and Acids and Bases

Question 1

What is a Van der Waals Interaction?

Answer 1

A very small electrostatic interaction between non-polar molecules.
- either london dispersion forces or dipole-dipole forces.

Question 2

Order these forces from strongest to weakest: Hydrogen, van der waals, hydrophobic, ionic, hydrogen, covalent.

Answer 2

1. Covalent
2. Hydrogen
3. Ionic
4. Hydrophobic
5. Van der Waals

Question 3

How do we calculate the pH from a titration curve?

Answer 3

Take the negative log of the concentration of protons at the half equivalence point.

Question 4

What’s the difference between a strong and a weak acid?

Answer 4

A weak acid dissociates only partially into hydrogen atoms and a conjugate base. A strong acid dissociates completely in an aqueous solution.

Question 5

What are buffers?

Answer 5

Buffers keep a solution at roughly the same pH. They can react with both acids and bases. Buffers are very important for chemical reactions that take place in our bodies. We must set up the reaction at the half equivalence point.