What is the reason for why the boiling point of an alkane changes when the amount of carbon atoms increases

Question: What is the reason for why the boiling point of an alkane changes when the amount of carbon atoms increases
- Keywords:
  alkane,
  atoms,
  boiling,
  carbon,
  point
Asked by aclark to Charlie on 11 Mar 2011.
- Charlie Ryan answered on 11 Mar 2011:
  
  i’m no chemist but i think the reason is this…
  Alkane molecules are held together at the molcular level but dipole forces – that basically means that one end of the molecule is postively charged and one end is negatively charged. When an alkane boils these bonds i think have to break. If the alkane has more carbon atoms the dipoles are further apart, so the force holding molecules together is greater, and it takes more energy to pull them apart. Therfore they boils at a higher temperature…

Question: What is the reason for why the boiling point of an alkane changes when the amount of carbon atoms increases