Van der Waals forces

Van der Waals forces are the sum of the attractive or repulsive forces between molecules (or between parts of the same molecule) other than those due to covalent bonds, the hydrogen bonds, or the electrostatic interaction of ions with one another or with neutral molecules or charged molecules.

The van der Waals forces include interactions such as:

• Dispersion or London forces
• Dipole-dipole interaction
• Dipole-induced dipole forces
• Induced dipole-induced dipole interaction

Origin

The van der Waals forces have their origin in the correlations between the fluctuating polarizations of the particles (e.g., electrons) in the material.

Types

Dispersion forces

Also known as London forces, are a type of force acting between atoms and molecules. They are part of the van der Waals forces. The LDF is named after the German physicist Fritz London.

Dipole-dipole interaction

A dipole-dipole interaction is the interaction of the positive end of one polar molecule with the negative end of another polar molecule.

Dipole-induced dipole forces

A dipole-induced dipole attraction is a weak attraction that results when a polar molecule induces a dipole in an atom or in a nonpolar molecule by disturbing the arrangement of electrons in the nonpolar species.

Induced dipole-induced dipole interaction

Also known as London dispersion forces, these are a type of force acting between atoms and molecules. They are part of the van der Waals forces.

See also

• Intermolecular force
• Molecular physics
• Chemical polarity
• Hydrophobic effect
• Ionic bonding
• Covalent bonding
• Metallic bonding
• Hydrogen bond

Van der Waals forces Resources
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