Science, Tech, Math Science Van der Waals Forces Definition Chemistry Glossary Definition of Van der Waals Forces Share Flipboard Email Print Molecules have energy, so they are always in motion. This generates electric dipoles. PASIEKA/SPL, Getty Images Science Chemistry Chemical Laws Basics Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry in Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Updated March 08, 2017 Definition: Van der Waals Forces are the weak forces which contribute to intermolecular bonding between molecules. Molecules inherently possess energy and their electrons are always in motion, so transient concentrations of electrons in one region or another lead electrically positive regions of a molecule to be attracted to the electrons of another molecule. Similarly, negatively-charged regions of one molecule are repulsed by negatively-charged regions of another molecule. Van der Waals forces are the sum of the attractive and repulsive electrical forces between atoms and molecules. These forces differ from chemical bonding because they result from fluctuations in charge density of particles.Examples: hydrogen bonding, dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions citecite this article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Van der Waals Forces Definition." ThoughtCo, May. 11, 2015, thoughtco.com/definition-of-van-der-waals-forces-604681. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2015, May 11). Van der Waals Forces Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-van-der-waals-forces-604681 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Van der Waals Forces Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-van-der-waals-forces-604681 (accessed April 25, 2018). copy citation Continue Reading