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Medical Definition of Van der Waals' forces
1. First postulated by van der Waals in 1873 to explain deviations from ideal gas behaviour seen in real gases; the attractive force's between atoms or molecules other than electrostatic (ionic), covalent (sharing of electrons), or hydrogen bonding (sharing a proton); generally ascribed to dipolar and dispersion effects, π-electrons, etc.; these relatively nondescript force's contribute to the mutual attraction of organic molecules. Synonym: London forces. (05 Mar 2000)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Van Der Waals' Forces
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