Polarizability: Understanding its Effects on Intermolecular Forces in Chemistry

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Polarizability refers to the ability of a molecule's electron cloud to be distorted, creating an instantaneous dipole moment. This distortion is crucial as it influences the strength of dispersion forces, which are a type of intermolecular force. The easier it is for a molecule's charge distribution to be altered, the higher its polarizability and the stronger the dispersion forces between molecules. Understanding polarizability is essential for grasping how molecular interactions occur in chemical bonding. This concept is vital for studying intermolecular forces in chemistry.
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Not really homework help - I'm studying for a chemistry test on chemical bonding, and I need some answers!

What exactly is the polarizability of a molecule? Can someone explain it to me in more simpler terms? My book is using arcane language that I can't really understand it. What is polarizability's effects on the intermolecular forces between molecules?

My book says "The strength of the dispersion force depends on the ease of which the charge distribution in a molecule can be distorted to induce an instantaneous dipole. The ease with which a charge distribution is distorted is called the molecule's polarizability."

I'm having trouble understand what that sentence is saying

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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Ritzycat said:
Not really homework help - I'm studying for a chemistry test on chemical bonding, and I need some answers!

What exactly is the polarizability of a molecule? Can someone explain it to me in more simpler terms? My book is using arcane language that I can't really understand it. What is polarizability's effects on the intermolecular forces between molecules?

My book says "The strength of the dispersion force depends on the ease of which the charge distribution in a molecule can be distorted to induce an instantaneous dipole. The ease with which a charge distribution is distorted is called the molecule's polarizability."

I'm having trouble understand what that sentence is saying

Any help is greatly appreciated.

You may find this helpful: http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physica...c_Theory/Intermolecular_Forces/Polarizability
It's essentially the ease in which the electron cloud of a neutral molecule can be distorted in order to produce a dipole moment.
 

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