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Topic: Why does ammonia have a lower boiling point than water?  (Read 5083 times)

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Offline confusedstud

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Why does ammonia have a lower boiling point than water?
« on: February 14, 2013, 03:05:43 AM »
The reason I read up on the net is that each water molecule has 4 hydrogen bonds while in ammonia due to having less lone pairs, it is unable to satisfy all the hydrogen atoms so the intermolecular bonds in ammonia is weaker. This makes sense but I don't understand how the excess in hydrogen atoms which should cause an overall repulsion force is countered.

What happens to those hydrogen atoms that do not have the hydrogen bonds? Won't they repel each other away? Or what would be able to neutralize them such that they don't repel each other? Or if I am having a misconception about the hydrogen bonds and permanent dipoles, please correct me. Thanks :)
« Last Edit: February 14, 2013, 03:58:21 AM by confusedstud »

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