is a highly toxic compound that was used as a chemical weapon in World
War I.
What intermolecular forces are present in a pure sample of ?

In a pure sample of , the primary intermolecular forces at play are dipole-dipole interactions and London dispersion forces. The molecule is polar due to the significant electronegativity difference between carbon, oxygen, and fluorine, which leads to a permanent dipole moment. The dipole-dipole interactions arise from the attraction between positive and negative ends of different molecules, while the London dispersion forces, although weaker, also contribute to the overall intermolecular interactions.

To visualize these forces, think of molecules as tiny magnets. The fluorine atoms are more electronegative, pulling electron density towards themselves and creating a “north pole” and “south pole” end. This means that molecules want to stick together through these magnetic-like forces, holding them close in a tidy arrangement!