Van-der-waals-equation meaning
An equation of state that relates the pressure, volume, and absolute temperature of a gas taking into account the finite size of molecules, and their intermolecular attraction, having the form RT = ( P + av−2 )( v − b ), where R is the gas constant, T is the absolute temperature, P is the pressure, v is the volume, and a and b are constants.
noun
An equation that relates the pressure, volume, and absolute temperature of a gas taking into account the finite size of molecules, and their intermolecular attraction, having the form RT = ( P + av&spminus;2 )( v − b ), where R is the gas constant, T is the absolute temperature, P is the pressure, v is the volume of fluid per molecule, a is a measure of the attraction of the molecules for each other (due to van der Waals forces ), and b is the volume occupied by a single molecule. The equation accurately captures phase transitions between liquid and gas phases of substances.
Advertisement
Origin of van-der-waals-equation
- After Johannes Diderik van der Waals
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition