What are vander walls forces?

Van der Waals forces are weak intermolecular forces that arise from the interactions between molecules or between different parts of a single molecule. They include attractions such as dipole-dipole interactions, dipole-induced dipole interactions, and London dispersion forces, which result from temporary fluctuations in electron distribution. These forces play a crucial role in determining the physical properties of substances, such as boiling and melting points, and are significant in biological systems, influencing processes like protein folding and molecular recognition.