Rank the following intermolecular forces in decreasing strength: hydrogen bonding, London dispersion forces, ion-dipole interactions, ion bonding, and dipole-dipole interactions.

Intermolecular forces are those acting between individual molecules. As these forces primarily result from differences in electric charges, the forces associated with the largest charge density will be the strongest.

Ions, resulting from the gain or loss of an electron, exhibit a “full” positive or negative charge. Consequently, bonds resulting from their interaction exhibit the greatest strength of the interactions presented here.

Dipoles, which result from intramolecular charge separation due to differences in electronegativity, are not as electronically dense as ions, but still show a partial charge. Hydrogen bonding is a specific type of dipole-dipole interaction, which is particularly strong due to the electronegativity of those atoms bonding to the hydrogen (nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine); hydrogen bonding is a strong type of dipole-dipole interaction.

London dispersion forces are those exhibited between nonpolar molecules resulting from the interactions of the fluctuating charge density in any molecule. The slight positive and negative charges produced during the motion of electrons enable very weak attractions between atomic nuclei to form.