Boiling Point & Van der Waals Force: Weight Dependency

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Boiling point is influenced by molecular weight because larger molecules have more electrons, leading to stronger dispersion forces. These dispersion forces, a type of van der Waals force, arise from induced dipole interactions that depend on the polarizability of the molecule. As molecular size and electron count increase, polarizability also increases, enhancing these forces. Consequently, heavier molecules typically exhibit higher boiling points due to stronger intermolecular interactions. Understanding these relationships is crucial in the study of molecular behavior and properties.
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1.Why does boiling point depend on weight ?
2.Does the vanderwall force depend on weight ?
 
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1. Because dispersion forces (a type of van der Waals force) depend on molecular size.

2. Dispersion forces (also known as induced dipole-induced dipole interactions) depend on the polarizability of the molecule (how easy it is to get an asymmetric distribution of electron in a molecule). As the number of electrons in a molecule and the size of the molecule increases, the polarizability increases.
 

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