The Constancy of the Polarization of Non-Polar Molecules

The dielectric constants of the vapors of n-hexane and n-heptane are measured over a range of temperature and used to show that the molecules of these substances have no detectable dipole moments. The constancy of the polarizations of non-polar vapors in contrast to the slight rise with temperature of the polarizations of the same substances in the liquid state is attributed to the elimination of the intermolecular action which lowers slightly the polarizability of the molecules in the liquid state.