Van der waals and size of atoms ?

The smaller the atoms the stronger the interactions-correct ?

The reason that the strength is lower in shorter distances is the repulsion btw the atoms but in general- the smaller the atoms, the stronger the london forces , correct ?
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(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 1

charco

Study Forum Helper

Original post by Leah.J

With covalent bonds, when the bond is shorter it is usually stronger, but there are exceptions, such as F-F. In general, the smaller the atoms the stronger the force.

London dispersion forces act between particles that are not bonded together. They are interparticulate forces, i.e. from one particle to another. These get stronger as the particles get larger in terms of the number of electrons and nuclear charges. So, the larger the particle the stronger the force.