London Dispersion Force

Weak intermolecular force from transient induced dipoles, present in all molecules.

Short definition

Weak intermolecular force from transient induced dipoles, present in all molecules.

Full explanation

London Dispersion Force in the context of molecular geometry forces: Weak intermolecular force from transient induced dipoles, present in all molecules. In practice this means relating macroscopic observation (mass, pressure, color), particle-level picture (atoms, electrons, ions moving and rearranging), and symbolic representation (formulas, equations, units). For London Dispersion Force, students connect the definition to linked lessons: do not just memorize the phrase — predict what changes when conditions change and check with dimensional analysis.

Notation and units

• Notation: —
• Common units: SI or derived, temperature in kelvins when in gas/energy contexts.
• Symbolic hint: See related formula if applicable.

Example

Example for london dispersion force: In a worked problem where this term appears, substitute measured values with correct units and check that the dimensional result matches the intended quantity. For instance, calculating a london dispersion force often uses the form $n=m/M$ or $c=n/V$ or $PV=nRT$ with $T$ in kelvins — illustrating how london dispersion force leads to a numerically different but dimensionally correct result when units are handled.

Confused with

• Dipole-Dipole — distinction: London Dispersion Force is weak intermolecular force from transient induced dipoles, present in all molecules. while Dipole-Dipole has a different defining property. See cross-link in glossary.

Related resources

• Topic: molecular-geometry-forces
• Formula library — when a specific equation involves this term it is linked.
• Constants — if a constant is required, it is sourced and versioned (NIST 2022).

Sources

• NIST Physical Constants 2022 (nist-2022, CODATA 2022). Accessed 2026-08-21.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-21 — Review due: 2027-08-21 — Author: Chemistry Fundamentals Editorial Team — Reviewer: Editorial Review Board (transparent placeholder).

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