relative magnitudes of intermolecular forces

[ruby_sievers_3H]

Know the relative magnitudes of intermolecular forces and hydrogen bonds.
• Understand and describe the parameters that contribute to the intermolecular energy (E ∝ -
α1 α2
r6 ).

what do we need to know about this?

[Kevin_Conrad_2E]

Dispersion Forces: Weakest of all intermolecular forces.
Dipole-Dipole Interactions: Stronger than dispersion forces, but weaker than hydrogen bonds.
Hydrogen Bonds: Strongest among these types of intermolecular forces but still weaker than covalent or ionic bonds.

That equation describes the energy of interaction between two polarizable molecules, often used in the context of dispersion forces:

Here are the parameters:
E: The energy of interaction.
α₁ and α₂: The polarizabilities of the two molecules. Polarizability refers to how easily the electron cloud around a molecule is distorted, creating an instantaneous dipole.
r: The distance between the molecules.
r⁶: Indicates that the energy of interaction decreases rapidly as the distance between the molecules increases.