BRAINCAKE

Induced Dipole-Dipole Interactions (London Forces)

OCR AS-level ChemistryShapes and Intermolecular ForcesLesson 9 of 13

Intermolecular forces are weak interactions between the dipoles of molecules. There are three types of intermolecular forces: induced dipole-dipole interactions (London forces), permanent dipole-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonds. Intermolecular forces are largely responsible for physical properties such as melting and boiling points.

Diagram

Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz

BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.

Key terms in this lesson

Dipole
A separation of opposite partial charges caused by an uneven distribution of the bonding electron pair.
Permanent dipole-dipole interactions
Attractive forces between the permanent dipoles of polar molecules.
Hydrogen bond
A strong permanent dipole-dipole interaction between a hydrogen atom bonded to N, O or F and a lone pair on an electronegative N, O or F atom of another molecule.

More in Shapes and Intermolecular Forces

All 13 lessons in Shapes and Intermolecular Forces · All OCR AS-level Chemistry topics