Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Van der Waals Interactions01:24

Van der Waals Interactions

67.9K
Atoms and molecules interact with each other through intermolecular forces. These electrostatic forces arise from attractive or repulsive interactions between particles with permanent, partial, or temporary charges. The intermolecular forces between neutral atoms and molecules are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, and dispersion forces, collectively known as van der Waals forces.
67.9K
Electric Charges01:11

Electric Charges

20.8K
From lightning during thunderstorms to electronic devices, the phenomenon of electromagnetism is all around us. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It has been known to humanity in various forms for thousands of years. For example, the ancient Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus recorded his experiments on static electricity using amber and fur in the sixth century BC.
The English physicist William Gilbert studied the phenomenon of static electricity in...
20.8K
Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules02:35

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

59.7K
Noncovalent attractions are associations within and between molecules that influence the shape and structural stability of complexes. These interactions differ from covalent bonding in that they do not involve sharing of electrons.
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
59.7K
Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules02:35

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

18.8K
18.8K
Comparison Between Electrical And Gravitational Forces01:24

Comparison Between Electrical And Gravitational Forces

3.3K
There are four fundamental forces in nature: the gravitational force, the electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. To compare the numerical strengths of the first two, take two particles of the same kind. Since electrons are fundamental particles, they are a good example.
Since both are inverse square law forces, the distance gets canceled when the ratio of the two forces is considered. Instead, the ratio of the electrical and gravitational forces depends on...
3.3K
Coulomb's Law01:30

Coulomb's Law

10.5K
Experiments with electric charges have shown that if two objects each have an electric charge, they exert an electric force on each other. The magnitude of the force is linearly proportional to the net charge on each object and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The direction of the force vector is along the imaginary line joining the two objects and is dictated by the signs of the charges involved.
Newton's third law applies to the Coulomb force — the...
10.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Benchmark assessment of collinear, mixed-reference, and spin-adapted variants of spin-flip time-dependent density functional theory, for closed- and open-shell molecules.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Energy-Screened Many-Body Expansion for Protein-Ligand Interactions: Examining Convergence for Metalloenzymes Through Seven-Body Interactions.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Extended Configuration-Interaction Singles Method with Core/Valence Separation (XCIS-CVS): Core-Level Spectra of Open-Shell Molecules.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2025
Same author

Computing L- and M-edge spectra using the DFT/CIS method with spin-orbit coupling.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025
Same author

Revisiting the Half-and-Half Functional.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2025
Same author

Untangling Sources of Error in the Density-Functional Many-Body Expansion.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2025
Same journal

Modeling the Clustering of Fumaric/Maleic Acid with Water and Na<sup>+</sup>, Cl<sup>-</sup> Ions.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
Same journal

Determining Binding Energies of Key Fluorinated Refrigerants 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane, 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene, and 3,3,3-Trifluoropropene.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
Same journal

Kinetic and Mechanistic Insights into H-Abstraction and Subsequent Isomerization and Decomposition of Monoglyme and Key Combustion Intermediates.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
Same journal

First-Principles Analysis of Protonation-Induced Electronic Effects in Tetrakis(<i>p</i>-aminophenyl)porphyrin (TAPP).

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
Same journal

Exploring the Reactivity of the CH Radical toward Nitrous Oxide in the Context of the Interstellar Medium.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
Same journal

Infrared Photodissociation Spectroscopy of Benzene-V<sup>+</sup>(CO)<sub>n</sub> "Piano Stool" Cations.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 24, 2025

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy
13:15

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Published on: July 18, 2014

11.2K

Neat, Simple, and Wrong: Debunking Electrostatic Fallacies Regarding Noncovalent Interactions.

John M Herbert1

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|August 13, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Low-order multipole moments often fail to accurately describe intermolecular forces at short distances. This study debunks common electrostatic misconceptions in areas like steric repulsion and pi-pi interactions.

More Related Videos

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
10:37

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

Published on: January 9, 2014

9.5K
Insights into the Interactions of Amino Acids and Peptides with Inorganic Materials Using Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy
05:44

Insights into the Interactions of Amino Acids and Peptides with Inorganic Materials Using Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 6, 2017

8.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 24, 2025

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy
13:15

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Published on: July 18, 2014

11.2K
Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
10:37

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

Published on: January 9, 2014

9.5K
Insights into the Interactions of Amino Acids and Peptides with Inorganic Materials Using Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy
05:44

Insights into the Interactions of Amino Acids and Peptides with Inorganic Materials Using Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 6, 2017

8.2K

Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Molecular Interactions

Background:

  • Multipole expansions are frequently used to explain intermolecular forces.
  • However, low-order multipole approximations are often inadequate for describing electrostatics at short interaction distances.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the validity of low-order multipole expansions in rationalizing various intermolecular phenomena.
  • To identify and correct common misconceptions arising from erroneous electrostatic arguments.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of interaction potentials for simple systems like Ar2.
  • Examination of theoretical models, including the Hunter-Sanders model for pi-pi interactions.
  • Case studies involving curved aromatic molecules (buckybowls) and water-anion complexes.

Main Results:

  • Steric repulsion in Ar2 is not solely explained by Coulomb interactions.
  • The Hunter-Sanders model for pi-pi interactions lacks support from accurate calculations.
  • Dipole moments of buckybowls are secondary to other forces governing their interactions.
  • Water-anion interactions are not primarily dictated by the water dipole moment.

Conclusions:

  • Electrostatic explanations relying on low-order multipole moments are frequently inaccurate for close-range nonbonded interactions.
  • These simplified electrostatic models should be used with caution and require further justification.