van der Waals' forces

or van der Waals forces

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plural noun Physical Chemistry.

weak, nonspecific forces between molecules.

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Origin of van der Waals' forces

First recorded in 1925–30; see origin at van der Waals' equation

British Dictionary definitions for van der Waals' forces

van der Waals forces

pl n

weak electrostatic forces between atoms and molecules caused by transient distortions in the distribution of electrons in the interacting atoms or molecules

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