dipole interaction

[Sofia Ban]

Can someone clarify for me the relationship between polarizability, dipole moments, and fluctuating electron distribution. Also, how does the dissociation energy and interaction potential energy relate to them?

[505095972]

Polarizability is how easy it is to pull electrons from one atom in a molecule towards the other. When this happens, a dipole moment occurs, because the electrons are pulled towards one of the atoms, making it more positively charged. Dispersion forces have fluctuating electron distributions, where the atom with more polarizability switches back and forth, so the positive and negative forces switch back and forth. I am not sure about the dissociation energy and interaction potential energy, I think that will be clearer tomorrow after lecture.

[Meghanhe1l]

Because electrons are not static and do not follow a specific course, their distribution is constantly changing. By chance, this fluctuation may result in the electrons being more concentrated on one side of the atom, causing a temporary dipole; this is how London dispersion forces arise. Regular dipoles arise when the high electronegativity of an atom in the bond causes it to pull not only its electrons closer to it, but also pull the electrons of the atoms it is bonded to closer to it. This uneven distribution of electrons between atoms is what causes dipoles, and the ability of an atom to have its electron distribution distorted is polarizability.