although helium atoms do not combine to form He2 molecules is it fair to say that London dispersion forces (induced dipole forces)are what attract He atoms weakly to one another?
The other choices are
dipole-induced dipole forces
Hydrogen bonding
Ion-dipole forces
dipole-dipole forces
Am I correct in my thoughts about this question and answer
Thanks andy
Yes, you are correct. London dispersion forces, also known as induced dipole forces, are what attract helium (He) atoms weakly to each other. These forces arise due to temporary fluctuations in the electron distribution, creating temporary dipoles. These induced dipoles induce dipoles in neighboring atoms, creating a weak attractive force.
The other choices you mentioned -- dipole-induced dipole forces, hydrogen bonding, ion-dipole forces, and dipole-dipole forces -- are not applicable to helium atoms. Dipole-induced dipole forces involve polar molecules interacting with nonpolar molecules, hydrogen bonding involves hydrogen atoms bonded to electronegative atoms like oxygen or nitrogen, ion-dipole forces involve the interaction between ions and polar molecules, and dipole-dipole forces involve the interaction between polar molecules. None of these forces are relevant to helium atoms as helium is chemically inert and does not readily form bonds or interact with other atoms or molecules in the same way as other elements.