Confused About Van der Waals' & Ionic Solids

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SUMMARY

Graphite is classified as a Van der Waals' solid, while salt is identified as an ionic solid. The interaction between electrons in graphite is dominated by Coulomb forces, but the layers are held together by Van der Waals' forces. The discussion highlights the Lennard-Jones potential for Van der Waals' forces, which varies with a parameter of β = 6, and the Coulomb potential for ionic forces, which has a parameter of β = 1.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Van der Waals' forces
  • Knowledge of ionic bonding
  • Familiarity with Lennard-Jones potential
  • Basic principles of Coulomb's law
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the Lennard-Jones potential in detail
  • Explore the principles of ionic bonding and its characteristics
  • Research Coulomb's law and its applications in solid-state physics
  • Examine the differences between Van der Waals' and ionic interactions in materials
USEFUL FOR

Chemistry students, materials scientists, and anyone studying solid-state physics will benefit from this discussion.

geoffreythelm
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Homework Statement




Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I think Graphite is a Van der Waals' Solid and, er, salt would be an ionic.
But I really don't have much of a clue about what the second part is going on about!

Thanks! :)
 

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Can't see the attachment yet. While Coulomb interaction dominate the interplay between electrons in graphite, I do believe the force holding the layers together could be referred to as van der Waals.
 
The second part is asking you for the variation of potential (attractive term) with respect to the distance between the particles, so for the van der Waals' forces, the Lennard-Jones potential applies, while for the ionic forces, the Coulomb potential applies. This would give \beta as 6 for the former and 1 for the latter.
 

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