Types Strength and Key Properties of Van Der Waals Forces
Van Der Waal forces are weak and short-range electrostatic attractive forces between uncharged molecules. It arises from the interaction between permanent or transient electric dipole moments.
It is named after the Dutch scientist Johannes Diderik Van Der Waals. In 1873 he first discovered these forces while developing a theory on the characteristics of real gases. Van Der Waals forces hold the solids that have a low melting point. On the other hand, the objects that are held together by metallic, covalent and ionic bonds have a high boiling point.
Van der Waal forces and Casimir have the same origin, emerging from the quantum interactions along with zero-point energy.
What are Van Der Waals Forces?
Electrons are distributed throughout an atom or molecule. Moreover, electrons are always moving. At any moment there can be uneven distributions of electrons. This causes the formation of a temporary dipole. This dipole can cause another temporary dipole to form in a neighbouring atom. It results in a domino effect of temporary dipoles and the atoms or molecules becoming attracted to each other. It is called Vander wall force.
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Fig1: Vanderwall force diagram
Characteristics
Following are the characteristics of Van Der Waal forces.
These forces are additive.
They are weaker than ionic, covalent bonds.
Van Der Waals forces are not directional.
They work in a short range. The interaction increases when molecules are closer.
These forces are independent of temperature. The only exception is dipole-dipole interaction.
Components of Van Der Waals Forces
The strength of these forces usually ranges between 0.4 kJ/mole and 4 KJ/mole. Moreover, they act over a distance of less than O.4 nm. However, the net effect of these forces is repulsive because electron clouds repel.
Due to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, a negative component does not let the molecules collapse.
Keesom interaction is another significant component of this force. This attractive or repulsive interaction takes place between dipoles, permanent charges, multipoles and quadrupoles.
Polarisation or induction occurs in this force. It is an attractive force that acts upon a permanent polarity of one molecule and on another one’s induced polarity. It is called Debye Force.
London Dispersion force also occurs because of instantaneous polarisation. Non-polar molecules also experience this force.
Classifications of Van Der Waal Forces
Primarily there are three types of Van Der Waal forces. Following are the list of those.
Dipole-dipole Forces
Dipole is a polar molecule in which a certain distance separates partial positive and partial negative charges. It has a permanent dipole moment. Dipole-dipole interaction results in generating an attractive force between neighbouring polar molecules. It results from the electrostatic force of attraction.
For example, a hydrogen molecule consists of a partially positive charged hydrogen atom and a negatively charged chlorine atom. When there are a collection of HCl molecules, they will rearrange themselves in such a way where oppositely charged poles of surrounding molecules are near to each other.
These Van Der Waals interactions are stronger than Dispersion forces but weaker than ion-ion interactions.
London Dispersion Forces
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Fig2: London dispersion forces in Helium
The molecular forces between non-polar molecules are called London dispersion forces. These forces depend on the polarizability of a molecule or an atom. London forces are attractive forces arising due to instantaneous dipoles. The strength of Van Der Waal Dispersion forces increases with the size, shape, molar mass and number of electrons in an atom or a molecule. It is considered as the weakest of all intermolecular forces.
Dispersion forces are present in all molecules, but non-polar molecules have only these forces. It is called London forces as in 1930 Fritz London first discovered their existence. These forces occur between non-polar molecules and between atoms. It happens due to the motion of the electrons.
For example, these forces are found in halogens (F2 and I2), noble gases and some non-polar molecules like methane and carbon dioxide. Also, these forces are stronger in the molecules which are not compact and arranged in a long chain of elements. It is so because the electrons can be displaced easily due to the weaker attraction between protons and electrons within the nucleus.
Dipole Induced Dipole Forces
These Van der Waals forces of attraction act between the polar molecules containing permanent dipole and molecules lacking permanent dipoles. Polar molecule’s permanent dipole infuses dipole on electrically neutral molecules by altering its electronic cloud. In the process, an induced dipole is created in another molecule. In this force, the interaction energy is proportional to 1/r6. Also, r is the distance between the molecules.
When a polar molecule with non-zero dipole moment approaches a non-polar molecule within a distance of 10-9 to 10-10 m, the polar molecule induces a temporary dipole in the non-polar molecule. It happens due to the distortion and separation of charges.
Thus Van Der Waals bonds largely configure the characteristics of molecules.
Do It Yourself: Make a chart and write down the differences between Van Der Waals and hydrogen bonding.
Strength of Van Der Waal Forces
The strength of these forces mainly depends on the following factors.
Size of the Molecule- If you look at the periodic table, you will see that the boiling point of noble gases increases, as you go down. It happens because the numbers of electrons increase along with the radius of the atoms. Thereby, if the electrons are more in number, the distance will be more, and there will be more possibility of temporary dipoles. Owing to this reason, bigger molecules possess higher boiling points than the smaller ones. For example, Xenon atoms have higher boiling points than the Neon ones.
Shape of the Molecule- Molecules shapes also play a crucial role in determining the strength of these forces. Thin long molecules are capable of developing more temporary dipoles than fat short ones, carrying an equal number of electrons. Also, these thin molecules can stay close to each other; therefore, the attraction between them is most effective. For example, butane and 2-methylpropane have the same molecular formula. However, the boiling point of butane is higher because they are arranged in a longer chain than the other one.
These are the major factors affecting van der Waal forces.
Van Der Waals Equation
This equation is needed to calculate the actual values of some special cases, for example, real gases.
(P+n2a/V2) (V-nb)= nRT
V refers to the gas volume in moles n. value of a specific gas is a. P refers to the pressure measured. Also, b is a variable that denotes the eliminated volume per mole. R is a known constant = 0.08206 L atm mol-1 K-1. Finally, T represents temperature.
Applications of Van Der Waals Forces
The applications of Van Der Waals forces are many. Some of them are discussed below.
These forces play a vital role in folding and stabilising protein structure.
They also help in bonding graphenes in graphite.
Takes part in polymer formation, nanotechnology, supermolecular chemistry, etc.
Gecko Lizards, with the help of these forces, climb the walls. Similarly, some other animals walk on water due to this.
These are a few Van Der Waals forces examples that we can see in daily life.
Now it is Time for a short Quiz on Van Der Waal Force!
1. Which one of the following molecules has dipole-dipole interaction?
H2
O2
CH4
HCl
2. What interaction can occur between Xenon molecules and water?
Dipole-dipole interaction.
Dipole-induced dipole interaction.
Ion-dipole interaction.
Instantaneous dipole-induced dipole interaction.
Answers: 1-d), 2-b).
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Factors affecting Van Der Waals Forces
There are many factors that affect Van der Waals Forces. The main factors include the following:
Number of Electrons Held in the Atoms or Molecules: When we move down a group in the periodic table, the atomic radii of the elements increase and the number of electrons also increases held by the respective nuclei. The presence of a large number of electrons leads to the formation of temporary dipoles. If the number of dipoles formed is more, the strength of the Van der Waals forces will be more.
Shape of the Molecule: Long, unbranched molecules have stronger dispersion forces as compared to the branched short chain molecules. For example, butane and isobutane are structural isomers but they have different boiling points but have the same chemical formula. The difference in their boiling points is due to the stronger Van der Waals forces in unbranched butane molecules as compared to the weaker Van der Waals forces in the short chain and branched molecules of isobutane.
Causes of Van der Waals Forces
Van der Waals forces may occur due to different causes. The main causes of Van der Waals forces are:
They may occur due to interaction between two permanent dipoles, for example, hydrochloric acid.
They may occur due to interaction between a permanent dipole and an uncharged atom or molecule.
They may occur due to interaction between an instantaneous dipole and an uncharged atom or molecule.
Importance of Van Der Waals Forces
Van der Waals forces are important and they are important in the following way:
The forces help in stabilising the protein structure
The forces are responsible for making a polymer chain stable
They are responsible for the cohesion of inert gases in solid and liquid states
They are responsible for physical adsorption of molecules to solid surfaces
They are responsible for stability and adhesion of colloids.
Key Takeaways
Vander Waals forces are a kind of distance-dependent forces between molecules and atoms.
Often this term is utilised to encompass all types of intermolecular forces. However, most scientists have associated it with Keesom, Debye and London Dispersion forces.
These forces are the weakest of all the intermolecular forces. However, they contribute to a major property of molecules.
FAQs on Characteristics of Van Der Waals Forces in Chemistry
1. What are Van der Waals forces in chemistry?
Van der Waals forces are weak intermolecular forces of attraction that exist between molecules due to temporary or permanent dipoles. These forces are much weaker than covalent or ionic bonds and do not involve the sharing or transfer of electrons.
They arise from:
- Temporary fluctuations in electron distribution
- Permanent dipole–dipole interactions
- Induced dipoles in neighboring molecules
Van der Waals forces explain properties such as low boiling points of noble gases and the condensation of nonpolar molecules like Cl2 and CH4.
2. What are the types of Van der Waals forces?
The three main types of Van der Waals forces are London dispersion forces, dipole–dipole interactions, and dipole–induced dipole forces.
- London dispersion forces: Caused by temporary dipoles in all atoms and molecules.
- Dipole–dipole forces: Occur between polar molecules with permanent dipoles.
- Dipole–induced dipole forces: Occur when a polar molecule induces a dipole in a nonpolar molecule.
All molecules experience dispersion forces, but only polar molecules exhibit dipole–dipole interactions.
3. What causes Van der Waals forces to occur?
Van der Waals forces occur due to electrostatic attractions between partial charges created by fluctuations or permanent uneven distribution of electrons.
- Electrons move constantly, creating temporary dipoles.
- Polar molecules have permanent dipoles due to electronegativity differences.
- These partial positive (δ+) and partial negative (δ−) regions attract nearby molecules.
For example, in polar HCl, the H atom carries a partial positive charge and Cl carries a partial negative charge, leading to dipole–dipole attraction.
4. How are Van der Waals forces different from hydrogen bonding?
Van der Waals forces are generally weaker intermolecular forces, whereas hydrogen bonding is a stronger, specific type of dipole–dipole interaction involving H bonded to N, O, or F.
- Van der Waals forces occur between all molecules.
- Hydrogen bonding occurs only in molecules like H2O, NH3, and HF.
- Hydrogen bonds are stronger due to highly polar H–N, H–O, or H–F bonds.
Thus, hydrogen bonding is often treated separately even though it is related to dipole–dipole interactions.
5. Why are Van der Waals forces considered weak?
Van der Waals forces are considered weak because they involve partial charges and temporary dipoles rather than full ionic or covalent bonds.
- No actual electron transfer or sharing occurs.
- The attractions are purely electrostatic and short-range.
- The interaction energy is typically much lower than covalent bond energies.
As a result, substances held together mainly by Van der Waals forces often have low melting and boiling points, such as noble gases.
6. How do Van der Waals forces affect boiling point?
Stronger Van der Waals forces lead to higher boiling points because more energy is required to separate the molecules.
- Larger molecules have stronger dispersion forces.
- Greater surface area increases intermolecular attraction.
- Polar molecules generally have higher boiling points than nonpolar molecules of similar molar mass.
For example, I2 has a much higher boiling point than F2 due to stronger London dispersion forces.
7. Do nonpolar molecules have Van der Waals forces?
Yes, all nonpolar molecules experience London dispersion forces, which are a type of Van der Waals force.
- Temporary dipoles form due to random electron movement.
- These temporary dipoles induce dipoles in neighboring molecules.
- The resulting attraction allows nonpolar substances to liquefy or solidify.
For example, noble gases like Ne and Ar exist as liquids at very low temperatures due to dispersion forces.
8. What factors increase the strength of London dispersion forces?
London dispersion forces increase with greater molar mass, larger electron cloud size, and larger surface area.
- More electrons increase polarizability.
- Larger atoms form stronger temporary dipoles.
- Long, straight-chain molecules have stronger dispersion forces than branched ones.
For example, straight-chain pentane has stronger dispersion forces than its more highly branched isomers.
9. Are Van der Waals forces intermolecular or intramolecular?
Van der Waals forces are intermolecular forces, meaning they act between separate molecules, not within a molecule.
- Intermolecular forces affect physical properties like boiling point and viscosity.
- Intramolecular forces include covalent and ionic bonds within a molecule or compound.
For example, the O–H bonds in H2O are covalent (intramolecular), while attractions between water molecules are intermolecular.
10. Why are Van der Waals forces important in chemistry and biology?
Van der Waals forces are important because they influence molecular structure, physical properties, and biological interactions.
- They help determine boiling and melting points.
- They stabilize large biological molecules like proteins and DNA.
- They enable condensation of gases into liquids.
Although individually weak, the combined effect of many Van der Waals interactions plays a major role in molecular recognition and material properties.
