The strongest intermolecular force in CCl4 is London Dispersion Force (LDF). CCl4 is a tetrahedral molecule composed of four identical chlorine atoms arranged around a central carbon atom. Each chlorine atom has a partial negative charge due to the unshared electron pair on the chlorine atom, and this gives the molecule a net dipole moment. This dipole moment, in turn, creates an attractive force between the chlorine atoms and the carbon atom. This attractive force is known as a London Dispersion Force (LDF).
LDF is a type of van der Waals force that occurs between all molecules, regardless of whether they are polar or nonpolar. It is the weakest of the intermolecular forces and is caused by the temporary dipole moments that form in the electron clouds of molecules. These dipoles are created due to the fluctuations in electron density, and they attract one another, resulting in a weak attractive force.
The strength of the LDF between two molecules is determined by the magnitude of their dipole moment, as well as the distance between them. In the case of CCl4, the four chlorine atoms all have a partial negative charge, and the central carbon atom has a partial positive charge. This creates an overall dipole moment, and the strength of the LDF increases with the magnitude of the dipole. As a result, the LDF between the carbon and chlorine atoms of CCl4 is the strongest intermolecular force.
In addition to LDF, CCl4 also experiences hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions. Hydrogen bonding occurs when hydrogen atoms in one molecule form a bond with an oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine atom in another molecule. The strength of the hydrogen bond depends on the degree of polarity between the two molecules, and it is usually weaker than the LDF in CCl4. Dipole-dipole interactions occur between molecules with permanent dipole moments, and they are much weaker than the LDF in CCl4.
In conclusion, the strongest intermolecular force in CCl4 is London Dispersion Force (LDF). LDF is a type of van der Waals force that occurs between all molecules, regardless of whether they are polar or nonpolar. It is the weakest of the intermolecular forces and is caused by the temporary dipole moments that form in the electron clouds of molecules. In addition to LDF, CCl4 also experiences hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions. However, these are usually weaker than the LDF in CCl4.
