London Dispersion Forces

 General Chemistry Index

Where are we going with this? This page will give the ability to use laboratory observations and data to compare and contrast ionic, covalent, network, metallic, polar, and non-polar substances with respect to constituent particles, strength of bonds, melting and boiling points, and conductivity; provide examples of each type.

London Dispersion Forces
When atoms get a little clingy… 

London dispersion forces result from intermolecular attraction between compounds resulting from the occasional, random non-uniform distribution of electrons as they move around. 

"The London dispersion force is a temporary attractive force that results when the electrons in two adjacent atoms occupy positions that make the atoms form temporary dipoles. This force is sometimes called an induced dipole-induced dipole attraction" (See More).

• London dispersion forces are the weakest of the intermolecular forces that exist between all types of molecules, whether ionic or covalent—polar or non-polar.
• The more electrons present, the stronger the forces.
• They contribute to boiling and melting points of substances.