Van der Waals Equation

Definition

The Van der Waals equation is a mathematical formula used to correct ideal gas laws for the volume of the molecules themselves and for the attractive forces between them.

Related terms

Ideal Gas Law:

A principle stating that the product of pressure and volume divided by temperature remains constant for a given amount of gas.

Real Gases: These are gases that do not behave exactly as predicted by the ideal gas law due to interactions between gas molecules.

Intermolecular Forces:

These are forces of attraction or repulsion which act between neighboring particles (atoms, molecules, or ions).