What is the consequence of weak intermolecular forces in materials like nitrogen and buckminsterfullerene?

Weak intermolecular forces in materials such as nitrogen and buckminsterfullerene lead to the ability of these substances to exist as gases or liquids at room temperature. This occurs because weak forces, like London dispersion forces, are not strong enough to hold the particles (atoms or molecules) tightly together. As a result, they can easily overcome these forces, leading to a state where the substance can be in a gaseous phase or a low-viscosity liquid phase at room temperature.

In the case of nitrogen, under standard conditions, it is a diatomic gas due to the weak forces between the nitrogen molecules, which allows them to move freely and take the shape of their container. Buckminsterfullerene, although it can form solid structures, exists in a molecular form where the weak intermolecular forces allow for relative ease of arrangement and phase changes.

Higher melting points, the formation of solids, and requiring more energy to break the intermolecular interactions are characteristics associated with strong forces, not weak ones. Thus, materials with weak intermolecular forces tend to behave quite differently, allowing them to have the flexibility to be in gaseous or liquid states at room temperature.