How would you define dispersion force?

Question

Naomi Aronson · Accepted Answer

See below.

London dispersion forces are considered the weakest intermolecular type of Van der Waals forces.

They are present in an instantaneous electric dipole moment in non-polar as well as polar molecules.

This type of force becomes stronger as the atom enlarges, and to a smaller degree for large molecules. This is due to the increased polarizability of molecules with more dispersed electron clouds where free electrons can be found.

Naomi Aronson · Answer

undefined Dispersion force, also known as London dispersion force, is a type of weak intermolecular force that occurs between atoms and nonpolar molecules. This force is a result of the temporary fluctuations in the electron distribution within atoms or molecules, which create temporary dipoles. When these temporary dipoles come into proximity with each other, they induce dipoles in neighboring atoms or molecules, leading to an attraction between them. Dispersion forces are the weakest of all the van der Waals forces and are present in all molecular interactions, but they are particularly significant in nonpolar compounds where no other types of intermolecular forces (like hydrogen bonding or dipole-dipole interactions) are present. The strength of dispersion forces increases with the increase in the size of the atoms or molecules, as larger molecules have more electrons that can contribute to electron distribution fluctuations.