van der Waals' equation

or van der Waals e·qua·tion

[ ih-kwey-shuhn wawlz; Dutch vahn der vahls ]

/ ɪˈkweɪ ʃən ˌwɔlz; Dutch ˌvɑn dər ˈvɑls /

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noun Thermodynamics.

an equation of state relating the pressure, volume, and absolute temperature of a gas, taking into account the finite size of the molecules and the attractive force between them.

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Origin of van der Waals' equation

Named after J. D. van der Waals (1837–1923), Dutch scientist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use van der Waals' equation in a sentence

Finally, Van Cleef and Martin realize Liberty is going too far.
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Artists like Mick Jagger and Van Morrison obsessively revered and imitated African-American blues and rock musicians.
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"He brought Ray Charles to the mix as an influence on rock & roll," E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt once raved.
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Perhaps, like Hawking searching for his elegant equation, filmmakers will never find the answer.
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Production expenses: equipment rental, lights, lighting board, van rental, trailer rental, road cases, backline.
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Pierre Van Cortlandt, a distinguished revolutionary patriot, died at his seat at Croton river, aged 94.
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Van Twiller was himself a grower of the plant and had his tobacco farm at Greenwich.
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Now the trouble with the main proposition just quoted is that each side of the equation is used as the measure of the other.
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In other words, it is a truism, mere equation in terms, telling nothing whatever.
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The fundamental equation of the economist, then, is that the value of everything is proportionate to its cost.
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British Dictionary definitions for van der Waals' equation

van der Waals equation

/ (ˈvæn də ˌwɑːlz) /

noun

an equation of state for a non-ideal gas that takes account of intermolecular forces and the volume occupied by the molecules of the gas

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for van der Waals' equation

van der Waals equation

An equation that relates the pressure, volume, and absolute temperature of a gas taking into account the finite size of molecules, and their intermolecular attraction, having the form RT = (P + av-2)(v - b), where R is the gas constant, T is the absolute temperature, P is the pressure, v is the volume of fluid per molecule, a is a measure of the attraction of the molecules for each other (due to van der Waals forces), and b is the volume occupied by a single molecule. The equation accurately captures phase transitions between liquid and gas phases of substances. See also ideal gas law.