Question

What intermolecular forces are present in anthracene?

1) London dispersion forces
2) Dipole-dipole forces
3) Hydrogen bonding
4) Ionic bonding

Answer 1

Anthracene primarily experiences London dispersion forces as its intermolecular force due to its nonpolar structure and lack of polar functional groups or hydrogen bonding sites.

Step-by-step explanation:

The intermolecular forces present in anthracene are primarily London dispersion forces. Anthracene is a nonpolar molecule consisting of three fused benzene rings without any polar functional groups or hydrogen atoms directly bonded to highly electronegative atoms such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine that would create significant dipole-dipole interactions or hydrogen bonding. Therefore, the primary intermolecular force in anthracene is London dispersion forces, which are the weakest of the van der Waals forces but increase in strength with the increase in molecular size and surface area, as seen in the large, flat structure of anthracene.