Johannes Diderik van der Waals was a Dutch physicist and thermodynamicist, known for his work on intermolecular forces. His name has become synonymous with the van der Waals force and the van der Waals equation. In addition to his work on intermolecular forces, van der Waals made significant contributions to the fields of thermodynamics and the properties of gases. Some synonyms for van der Waals include Dutch physicist, thermodynamicist, intermolecular forces, van der Waals force, van der Waals equation, and gas properties. His work has had a lasting impact on the field of physics and his contributions continue to be studied and utilized by scientists around the world.