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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Ximena on October 09, 2013, 08:33:31 AM

Title: Van der Waals Interactions
Post by: Ximena on October 09, 2013, 08:33:31 AM
Are Van Der Waals interactions considered to be bonds?
I have to make an essay of just one side of A4  in which I have to explain the chemical bonds with examples, but I just don't know if I should write the VDW interactions, also considering the fact that I don't have much space left to give examples.
Title: Re: Van der Waals Interactions
Post by: magician4 on October 10, 2013, 01:17:30 PM
from a viewpoint of physics, each interaction releasing energy is to be considered kind of a "bond" inbetween particles

in chemistry however, we only tend to call something a "bond" that fixes the geometric relation atom(group)-atom(group) , and "stays" there.
... which VDW interactions don't do: they're permanently broken and reestablished elsewhere

so, if I was in your shoes, I'd mention those effects, but would call them "weak interactions" and point out, that they're in the ballpark of 50 - 100 times weaker than 'normal' bonds.


regards

Ingo