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Intermolecular Forces

Definition

These are the forces that occur between molecules. They're weaker than intramolecular forces but still crucial for determining properties like boiling and melting points.

Analogy

If you think about a group of people (representing molecules) at a party, intermolecular forces would be like the casual conversations and interactions happening between different individuals. They don't bind people together as tightly as family ties (intramolecular forces), but they still influence how everyone behaves at the party.

Related terms

London Dispersion Forces: These are weak intermolecular attractions resulting from instantaneous changes in electron density in a molecule.

Dipole-Dipole Interactions: These occur when polar molecules align such that positive and negative ends line up with each other.

Hydrogen Bonds: A special type of dipole-dipole interaction involving hydrogen atom bonded to highly electronegative elements like oxygen or nitrogen.