Question
Separate portions of chloroform and water at the same temperature are poured on your hands. The chloroform feels colder. Account for this in terms of attractive forces.
Solution
The intermolecular forces of attraction in chloroform are weaker than those in water (which also involves hydrogen bonding). As a result, the boiling point of chloroform is lesser. This means that chloroform evaporates faster than water. Consequently, for evaporation, it absorbs more of heat from the hand which gets the feeling of coldness.
