Oxygen, like many other molecules, experiences London dispersion forces as its primary intermolecular force.
London dispersion forces are a type of weak, temporary attraction that arises due to the instantaneous fluctuations in electron distribution around the atoms within a molecule.
These fluctuations create temporary dipoles, which induce similar dipoles in neighboring molecules.
This temporary attraction helps hold oxygen molecules together in the liquid and solid states.
While oxygen is a diatomic molecule with a symmetrical structure, it still exhibits London dispersion forces due to the constant movement of electrons within the molecule.
These forces are weaker than other types of intermolecular forces, such as hydrogen bonding or dipole-dipole interactions, but they are still important for determining the physical properties of oxygen, such as its boiling point.
