NS #9 C/P

[Monkeydfdg64]

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When asking why dipropyl ether and diethyl pthalate dissolved in one another, I said because of london dispersion because that is in all molecules. In the answer it said the london dispersion only occurs between nonpolar molecules. Last I checked it happens between all molecules. Am I crazy?

 

[JimKimSlim]

You are not wrong. In fact, London Dispersion Force or Van der Waals force is the most dominant molecular force in nature, specifically among protein interactions. However, in the context of C/P, you associate nonpolar molecules with LDF. It’s like saying ethanol dissolves in water because all molecules have London dispersion force, when we know it’s the specific hydrogen bond interaction. Likewise, LDF is a broad term and applied mainly to non polar molecules in C/P, unless specified otherwise.