Structure and Intermolecular Potential of Liquid Carbon Tetrachloride Derived from X-Ray Diffraction Data

Abstract

The scattering of x rays from the free surface of liquid carbon tetrachloride has been analyzed at 25°C. The diffractometer used was specially designed for the study of liquid structure. The radial distribution function derived from the experiments is in agreement with previously published work on CCl₄ showing, however, much higher resolution. Intensity and radial distribution functions have been computed for a model structure and compared to those derived from experiment. The model assumes a perturbed close packing of chlorine atoms, surrounded by a continuous distribution of distances, as an adequate description of the short‐range order in liquid carbon tetrachloride. The model intensity and radical distribution functions are in quantitative agreement with those derived from experiment. An intermolecular potential function, derived from the model structure, predicts the heat of vaporization and second virial coefficient in agreement with experiment.