Named after Dutch physicist Johannes Diderik van der Waals, this force is the interaction between atoms or molecules that doesn’t depend on any chemical process. According to Science Direct:
“Van der Waals interactions occur when adjacent atoms come close enough that their outer electron clouds just barely touch. This action induces charge fluctuations that result in a nonspecific, nondirectional attraction … Under optimal circumstances, van der Waals interactions can achieve bonding energies as high as 40 kJ mol−1.” (5)
