Which factor affects the strength of Van Der Waals bonds?

The strength of Van Der Waals bonds is influenced by the total number of electrons in a molecule. This is because Van Der Waals forces arise due to temporary dipoles that occur when electron distributions within molecules fluctuate, leading to a momentary charge imbalance. Larger molecules with more electrons tend to have stronger Van Der Waals forces because they can form larger temporary dipoles. As a result, the increased number of electrons enhances the likelihood of interaction among neighboring nonpolar molecules.

While polarity of the environment and the proximity of nonpolar molecules can influence the overall interactions between molecules, they do not directly relate to the intrinsic strength of the Van Der Waals bonds themselves. The size of the atomic nucleus is not a relevant factor in the context of Van Der Waals interactions, as these forces are primarily dependent on electron arrangement rather than the nucleus. Thus, the total number of electrons plays a crucial role in determining the strength of these intermolecular forces.