Question

1. Which types of intermolecular forces dominate the assembly of atoms and molecules into matter for each of these types of materials?

a. butter b. platinum c. leather d. wood e. sapphire f. dry ice (solid CO2)

2. Summarize the forces that give rise to the strength of collagen fibers.

Answer 1

1. (a) Butter is a type of saturated fatty acid.  Stronger van der Waals forces are dominate between the molecules of butter.

(b) In general metals are having intramolecular forces such as metallic bonding. So, in platinum, the atoms bond to each other thrby sharing their delocalised electrons.

(c) Covalent intermolecular bonds are present in leather.

(d) The atoms of wood are held together by covalent bonds.

(e) The dominate bonding character in sapphire is ionic. It has also having covalent bonds (partly) between the atoms.

(f) In dry ice (solid CO₂) molecules are held together by London dispersion forces.

2. The collagen fiber has mainely having two types of chemical bonds such as Hydrogen bonding and covalent bonds. The collagen fibers are strengthen by covalent intermolecular bonds. Covalent intermolecular bonds are formed by staggering the telopeptide regions with helical portions of adjacent molecules, therefore resulting in a long fiber structure.