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Van Der Waal's Forces for Dummies

noun

What does Van Der Waal's Forces really mean?

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"Van der Waal's forces" are a type of force that exist between molecules in a substance.

Okay, so imagine you have a really big group of people standing in a crowded room. Everyone is packed closely together, like sardines in a can. Now, think about what happens when they try to move around. They might bump into each other or push each other a little bit, right?

Well, molecules in a substance, like water or air, are a lot like those people in the crowded room. They're constantly moving around and bumping into each other. And just like how those people in the room interact with each other, molecules also have interactions called forces between them.

Now, Van der Waal's forces are a specific type of force between molecules. They are pretty weak, kind of like a gentle push. These forces happen because the electrons, which are tiny particles that orbit around the center of an atom, constantly move. Sometimes, these electrons create temporary imbalances of charge in a molecule, meaning that one side of a molecule becomes slightly positive and the other side becomes slightly negative.

So, imagine again that the people in the crowded room are carrying small magnets with them. Sometimes, those magnets attract each other because they have opposite charges, and they pull together for a moment. These little attractions between the magnets are sort of like Van der Waal's forces between molecules. They might not be very strong, but they still exist and have an impact on how molecules behave.

Van der Waal's forces can also happen between different molecules, not just ones that are the same. So it's like people from different groups in the crowded room also having these weak attractions between them.

Overall, Van der Waal's forces are these gentle, temporary attractions between molecules in a substance, kind of like people in a crowded room gently bumping into each other or pulling together for a moment due to the movements of their magnets. They might not be the strongest forces, but they definitely play a role in how substances behave.


Revised and Fact checked by Emma Williams on 2023-10-29 23:53:21

Van Der Waal's Forces In a sentece

Learn how to use Van Der Waal's Forces inside a sentece

  • When you rub a balloon on your hair and it sticks to the balloon, that's because of Van Der Waal's forces.
  • When geckos walk on walls and ceilings without falling, it's because their feet can stick to surfaces through Van Der Waal's forces.
  • When you use a suction cup to hang something on a smooth surface, it's because of Van Der Waal's forces that create a temporary bond between the cup and the surface.
  • When water droplets form on a cold glass, it's because of Van Der Waal's forces between the glass molecules and the water molecules.
  • When a gecko detaches its foot from a surface, it's because it can turn off the Van Der Waal's forces quickly and easily.

Van Der Waal's Forces Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

attraction attractive force