Essay on Intermolecular BondsWrite an essay on intermolecular bonds. Explain how each type of link arises and the evidence for the existence of each. Comment on their strengths in relation to the types of atoms involved; the covalent bond and in relation to each other. Use the concepts of different types and strengths of intermolecular bonds to explain the following: There are four types of intermolecular bonds: ionic, covalent, Van der Waals, and hydrogen bonds. In order to describe the existence of such a bond, you must also understand the concepts of polarity, polar and non-polar, and electronegativity. Ionic bonds are created by the complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another. In this electron transfer process, each atom becomes an isoelectronic ion with the nearest noble gas. The substance is held together by electrostatic forces between the ions. The tendency of these ions to be formed by elements corresponds to the octet rule, when atoms react they tend to do so in such a way that they reach an outer shell containing eight electrons. The factors that affect the formation of ions are ionization energy, electron affinity, lattice energy.Figure 1The electron transfer involved in the formation of (a) sodium chloride and (b) calcium fluoride. Each atom forms an ion with an outer shell containing eight electrons. For many elements, compounds cannot be formed by the production of ions, because the energy released during the formation of the ion network would be insufficient to overcome the energy required to form the ion network. the ions would be insufficient to overcome the energy required to form the ions in the first place. For atoms to reach a noble gas configuration, they must use another method of bonding through the process of electron sharing. In Figure 2 you can see the example of combing two hydrogen atoms. As the atoms get closer together, each electron experiences an attraction toward the two nuclei and the electron density changes so that the most likely place to find the two electrons is between the two nuclei. In fact, each atom now has a share of both electrons. The electron density between the two nuclei exerts an attractive force on each nucleus holding them tightly together in a covalent bond. Figure 2 A covalent bond forming between two hydrogen atoms. It is also possible for two atoms to share more than one pair of electrons, so sharing two pairs results in a double bond and sharing three pairs results in a triple bond. Electronegativity is a measure of the power of an atom in a molecule.