Need Bio/chem help midterm tomorrow

[boredom]

Can someone explain to me in laymens terms what in the world is Van der Waals attaction and its relationship with hydrogen bonds?

Thanx in advance

[filtherton]

Van der Waals starred in a television show called dawson's creek. I think he played dawson and hooked up with katie holmes a bunch. I don't know how he felt about hydrogen bonds, but i don't think he was gay.

[wombatman]

I think it has to do with the slight polarity of hydrogen atoms in water molecules. The oxygen atom, being more electronegative, tends to pull the electrons in the bonds with the hydrogen atoms towards itself, resulting in a slightly positive charge on each hydrogen. This allows them to kinda sorta bond with all water-molecule oxygens, which will be slightly negative. These bonds are not strong relative to other types of bonds, but they are strong to have some effect (think water's properties of cohesion and adhesion). I hope this is correct and makes some sense.

[Slavakion]

Tilted Knowledge is where you should post stuff like this.

This site is pretty good. It seems that Van de Waals is the term for the attractive cloud around an element/molecule.

[sailor]

Id think this would be a good resource.

[namnori]

yeah... just remember Hydrogen bonding is stronger than Van der Waals, it all has to do with the dipole moments.