van der Waals ???
Simon Hogg
I remember being told the correct way to spell van der Waals forces, but I
seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;
The attraction is due to van der Waals forces
The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces
The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces
The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces
or some other arrangement of capital letters and apostrophes. A definitive
answer would be nice - thanks.
-- Simon Hogg
John Vinson
>I remember being told the correct way to spell van der Waals forces, but I
>seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;
>
>The attraction is due to van der Waals forces
>The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces
>The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces
>The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces
The name of the scientist who described the force was van der Waals.
In Dutch, "van der" (of the) is not usually capitalized when part of a
name (Well, you're from South Africa - you know that, surely!) It's
not *his* forces, it's a force that's named for him - like the
Leidenberg effect, or the Fermi exclusion principle; just use his
name.
<p&e>
Your first example is correct.
Marvin3809
>From: s.h...@house.me.und.ac.za (Simon Hogg)<BR>
>Date: 6/3/98
> remember being told the correct way to spell van der Waals forces, but I
><BR>
>seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;<BR>
><BR>
>The attraction is due to van der Waals forces<BR>
>The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces<BR>
>The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces<BR>
>The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces<BR>
><BR>
>or some other arrangement of capital letters and apostrophes. A definitive
><BR>
>answer would be nice - thanks.<BR>
><BR>
>-- Simon Hogg<BR>
The man's name was J. D. van der Waals. The term is "van der Waals' forces".
Marvin Margoshes
Jason Hlady
: >I remember being told the correct way to spell van der Waals forces, but I
: >seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;
: >
: >The attraction is due to van der Waals forces
: >The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces
: >The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces
: >The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces
: <p&e>
: Your first example is correct.
Agreed. However, you capitalize it if it's the first word in a sentence. That
is, the attraction is due to van der Waals forces. Van der Waals forces are weak
intermolecular interactions....
Jason "vdW cluster" Hlady
hl...@duke.usask.ca
Wand G
Could some one explain what van der Waals forces are?
John Vinson wrote in message <35759acb...@news.cyberhighway.net>...
>On Wed, 03 Jun 1998 19:12:24 GMT, s.h...@house.me.und.ac.za (Simon
>Hogg) wrote:
>
>>I remember being told the correct way to spell van der Waals forces, but I
>>seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;
>>
>>The attraction is due to van der Waals forces
>>The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces
>>The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces
>>The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces
>
>The name of the scientist who described the force was van der Waals.
>In Dutch, "van der" (of the) is not usually capitalized when part of a
>name (Well, you're from South Africa - you know that, surely!) It's
>not *his* forces, it's a force that's named for him - like the
>Leidenberg effect, or the Fermi exclusion principle; just use his
>name.
>
Eric Lucas
> >seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;<BR>
> ><BR>
> >The attraction is due to van der Waals forces<BR>
> >The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces<BR>
> >The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces<BR>
> >The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces<BR>
> ><BR>
> >or some other arrangement of capital letters and apostrophes. A definitive
> ><BR>
> >answer would be nice - thanks.<BR>
> ><BR>
> >-- Simon Hogg<BR>
>
> The man's name was J. D. van der Waals. The term is "van der Waals' forces".
Wrong. If you choose to use an apostrophe, this is the wrong way to do
so. It's either van der Waals (his name) or van der Waals's
(possessive of his name). You only drop the final "s" if the word is
plural. Since van der Waals is a proper name and not plural, you keep
the final "s". Look it up in any sufficiently sophisticated grammar
book.
Eric Lucas
the possessive of which last name is "Lucas's".
Marvin3809
I checked this in the 1974 edition of "Words into Type". It says, "When the
apostrophe and s would make the word difficult to pronounce, as when a sibilant
occurs before the last syllable, the apostrophe may be used alone." On that
basis, either "van der Waals' laws" or "van der Waals's laws" can be used.
>From: Eric Lucas <eal...@ix.netcom.com><BR>
>Date: 6/3/98
>Marvin3809 wrote:<BR>
>> <BR>
>> >From: s.h...@house.me.und.ac.za (Simon Hogg)<BR>
>> >Date: 6/3/98> > > remember being told the correct way to spell van der
>Waals forces, but I> ><BR>
>> >seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >The attraction is due to van der Waals forces<BR>
>> >The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces<BR>
>> >The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces<BR>
>> >The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >or some other arrangement of capital letters and apostrophes. A
>definitive> ><BR>
>> >answer would be nice - thanks.<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> >-- Simon Hogg<BR>
>> > The man's name was J. D. van der Waals. The term is "van der Waals'
>forces".Wrong. If you choose to use an apostrophe, this is the wrong way to
>do so. It's either van der Waals (his name) or van der Waals's (possessive
>of his name). You only drop the final "s" if the word is plural. Since van
>der Waals is a proper name and not plural, you keep the final "s". Look it
>up in any sufficiently sophisticated grammar book. Eric Lucas the
possessive
>of which last name is "Lucas's".
Marvin Margoshes
Simon Hogg
In article <199806041620...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, marvi...@aol.com (Marvin3809) wrote:
>I checked this in the 1974 edition of "Words into Type". It says, "When the
>apostrophe and s would make the word difficult to pronounce, as when a sibilant
>occurs before the last syllable, the apostrophe may be used alone." On that
>basis, either "van der Waals' laws" or "van der Waals's laws" can be used.
>
>>From: Eric Lucas <eal...@ix.netcom.com><BR>
>>Date: 6/3/98
>
>>forces".Wrong. If you choose to use an apostrophe, this is the wrong way to
>>do so. It's either van der Waals (his name) or van der Waals's (possessive
>>of his name). You only drop the final "s" if the word is plural. Since van
>>der Waals is a proper name and not plural, you keep the final "s". Look it
>>up in any sufficiently sophisticated grammar book. Eric Lucas the
>possessive
>>of which last name is "Lucas's".
But James' is James' (not James's). The pronounciation is (Jamesis - well,
sort of). Anyway, back to my question. I think the answer is 'The attraction
is due to van der Waals forces'. i.e. there is no possession, so no
apostrophe (and no capital V except at the beginning of a sentence).
Thanks for the info.
Kevin Campbell
>> Could some one explain what van der Waals forces are? <<
Intermolecular forces provided by slight polarities on molecules. Look it up
on the web. You might also want to look up hydrogen bonding.
--
Kevin Campbell
Head Guru - Deimos Software
E-Mail: Kev_...@Compuserve.com
Home: http://visitweb.com/deimos
ICQ: 10292892
Wand G wrote in message <6l4jus$b56$1...@quartz.inquo.net>...
>Could some one explain what van der Waals forces are?
>
>
>John Vinson wrote in message <35759acb...@news.cyberhighway.net>...
>>On Wed, 03 Jun 1998 19:12:24 GMT, s.h...@house.me.und.ac.za (Simon
>>Hogg) wrote:
>>
>>>I remember being told the correct way to spell van der Waals forces, but
I
>>>seem to have forgotten, so is it, for example;
>>>
>>>The attraction is due to van der Waals forces
>>>The attraction is due to van der Waal's forces
>>>The attraction is due to Van der Waals forces
>>>The attraction is due to Van der Waal's forces
>>