sammy1996
January 7th, 2013, 05:59 PM
I understand the application of Van Der Walls forces perfectly, the one bit that doesn't make sense to me which my teacher wouldn't properly explain because we don't need to know it is so, If the electrons are occasionally making dipoles and attracting wouldn't it be equally as likely that the electrons would be on the other side so all the electrons on each atom is next to each other making them repel making the forces of attraction equal but opposite?
Its hard to explain without being able to draw a diagram but think of it as normal Van Der Walls with 2 atoms side by side being attraced be a temporary dipole from the electrons on the left side on both atoms causing +- attraction, if the right atoms electrons were all at the right side on the atom (which is equally as likely) the 2 atoms would repel. therefore the atoms wouldnt attract, just merely vibrate side to side as the dipoles change all the time.
Hope you can decipher what i mean :P
Its hard to explain without being able to draw a diagram but think of it as normal Van Der Walls with 2 atoms side by side being attraced be a temporary dipole from the electrons on the left side on both atoms causing +- attraction, if the right atoms electrons were all at the right side on the atom (which is equally as likely) the 2 atoms would repel. therefore the atoms wouldnt attract, just merely vibrate side to side as the dipoles change all the time.
Hope you can decipher what i mean :P