van der Waals equation

proper noun

A gas law which generalizes the ideal gas law to non-ideal gases, taking into account intermolecular forces and the size of molecules.

“(P+a/(V²))(V-b)=RT, where a and b are constants experimentally determined for a particular gas.”

Similar
van der Waals law
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Meanings

van der Waals equation1

proper nounthe van der Waals equation

alternative Van der Waals equation · alternative van der Waals equation of state

  1. chemistryA gas law which generalizes the ideal gas law to non-ideal gases, taking into account intermolecular forces and the size of molecules.

    (P+a/(V²))(V-b)=RT, where a and b are constants experimentally determined for a particular gas.

    Synonyms: van der Waals law

Van der Waals equation2

proper noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of van der Waals equation.

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA gas law which generalizes the ideal gas law to non-ideal gases, taking into account intermolecular forces and the size of molecules.

Similar
van der Waals law
Also see
van der waals equation of statevan der waals law

Origin

Named after Dutch physicist Johannes Diderik van der Waals.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

van der Waals equation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20der%20Waals%20equation

MLA

“van der Waals equation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20der%20Waals%20equation. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “van der Waals equation,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20der%20Waals%20equation.

Source: van der Waals equation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.