What are intermolecular forces?

What are intermolecular forces?

• A. Forces between molecules
• B. Forces within molecules
• C. Nuclear forces
• D. Forces between ions in a lattice

Answer: (A)

Intermolecular forces are the attractions between separate molecules, not the bonds inside a single molecule. They include hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole interactions, and London dispersion forces, and they’re generally weaker than the bonds that hold atoms together within a molecule (intramolecular forces). Nuclear forces act within the atomic nucleus, a completely different scale, while forces between ions in a lattice describe the electrostatic attractions in an ionic solid (ionic bonding), not interactions between neutral molecules. So the description of forces between molecules is the correct one.

Intermolecular forces are the attractions between separate molecules, not the bonds inside a single molecule. They include hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole interactions, and London dispersion forces, and they’re generally weaker than the bonds that hold atoms together within a molecule (intramolecular forces). Nuclear forces act within the atomic nucleus, a completely different scale, while forces between ions in a lattice describe the electrostatic attractions in an ionic solid (ionic bonding), not interactions between neutral molecules. So the description of forces between molecules is the correct one.