Question

Question #84994

Answer 1

Intermolecular forces are short ranged, which means that molecules can exert intermolecular forces when they are close enough.

Two molecules 5 miles apart won't exert intermolecular forces.

When `H_2O` is in the liquid state, the intermolecular attractive forces are strong because the molecules are relatively closer to each other. However, when vaporisation occurs, molecules move far away from each other in the gaseous phase and that's what makes the intermolecular forces very weak and at low pressures practically negligible.