Is intermolecular hydrogen bonding considered a van der Waals force?

Question

Mateo Aguilar · Accepted Answer

Yes.

Van der Waals forces include dipole-dipole forces, dipole-induced dipole forces, and London dispersion forces. Side note: Some people have the misconception that van der Waals forces only include London dispersion forces, but this is actually incorrect. Hydrogen bonding refers to the intermolecular dipole-dipole attraction between molecules that contain #H-F#, #H-O#, or #H-N# bonds. So, because hydrogen bonding is a dipole-dipole force, it would be considered a van der Waals force as well. :) For more information on van der Waals forces, check out this awesome answer by Ernest Z.!

Owen Ambrose · Answer

undefined No, intermolecular hydrogen bonding is not the same as a van der Waals force. Hydrogen bonding is a particular kind of intermolecular force that happens when a hydrogen atom is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (like oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine) and forms an electrostatic interaction with another electronegative atom in a neighboring molecule. Van der Waals forces include weak attractive or repulsive forces between molecules.