Van der Waals forces

Any of the noncovalent attractive or repulsive forces acting upon neutral atoms or molecules. They include (but are not limited to) van der Waals repulsion, London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole, dipole-induced dipole, and entropic effects such as hydrophobicity.

Related Words

London Dispersion Forces

Hydrogen Bond

Hydrophobic

Covalent Bond

Used in Context

Surface Wetting

Electric Geckos

Glossary Index