What is the Difference Between Dipole Dipole and Dispersion?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between dipole-dipole and dispersion (London dispersion) forces lies in their strength and the types of molecules they occur in. Here are the key differences:
- Strength: Dipole-dipole forces are stronger than London dispersion forces. Dipole-dipole interactions occur between polar molecules with permanent dipole moments, while London dispersion forces arise from the formation of instantaneous dipole moments in polar or nonpolar molecules, leading to temporary attractions.
- Molecule Types: Dipole-dipole interactions are found only in polar molecules, which have a permanent electric dipole moment due to the difference in electronegativity between the bonded atoms. In contrast, London dispersion forces can be found in any molecule or sometimes in atoms, as they result from the formation of temporary dipoles.
In summary, dipole-dipole forces are stronger and occur in polar molecules, while London dispersion forces are weaker and occur in both polar and nonpolar molecules.
Comparative Table: Dipole Dipole vs Dispersion
Here is a table comparing the differences between dipole-dipole interactions and dispersion (London) forces:
| Property | Dipole-Dipole Interactions | Dispersion (London) Forces |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Interactions between polar molecules with net dipole moments. | Interactions between all molecules, both polar and nonpolar, due to temporary attractive forces between instantaneous dipoles. |
| Occurrence | Occur in polar molecules. | Occur in all molecules. |
| Strength | Stronger than dispersion forces. | Weaker than dipole-dipole forces. |
| Distance | Strength is proportional to 1/r^3, where r is the distance between dipoles. | Energy falls off as 1/r^6. |
| Formation | Result from electrostatic interactions of positive and negative charges in polar molecules. | Result from the formation of instantaneous dipole moments in polar or nonpolar molecules, causing the temporary formation of an induced dipole in adjacent molecules. |
In summary, dipole-dipole interactions occur between polar molecules with net dipole moments, while dispersion forces are present in all molecules, both polar and nonpolar. Dipole-dipole interactions are stronger than dispersion forces, and their strength is proportional to the magnitude of the dipole moment and the distance between dipoles. Dispersion forces, on the other hand, arise from temporary attractive forces between instantaneous dipoles and decrease with distance as 1/r^6.
- Dipole-Dipole vs London Dispersion Forces
- Dispersion vs Diffusion
- Ion Dipole vs Dipole Dipole Forces
- Electric Dipole vs Magnetic Dipole
- Polarizability vs Dipole Moment
- Bond Dipole vs Molecular Dipole
- Dipole Dipole Interactions vs Hydrogen Bonding
- Dispersion vs Scattering of Light
- Induced Dipole vs Permanent Dipole
- Bond Moment vs Dipole Moment
- Dispersion vs Skewness
- Zwitterion vs Dipole
- Polar vs Dipolar Molecules
- Scalar vs Dipolar Coupling
- Dispersed Phase vs Dispersion Medium
- Electrophoresis vs Dielectrophoresis
- Modal vs Chromatic Dispersion
- Central Tendency vs Dispersion
- Monodisperse vs Polydisperse Polymers