Even when two atoms that are near one another will not bind, they will still attract one another. This phenomenon is known as the Vanderwaals interaction.
The Vanderwaals forces cause a force between the two atoms. This force becomes stronger, as the atoms come closer together. However, when the two atoms draw too near each other a rejecting force will take action, as a consequence of the exceeding rejection between the negatively charged electrons of both atoms. As a result, a certain distance will develop between the two atoms, which is commonly known as the Vanderwaals radius.
Through comparison of Vanderwaals radiuses of several different pairs of atoms, we have developed a system of Vanderwaals radiuses, through which we can predict the Vanderwaals radius between two atoms, through addition.
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