An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

An → equation of state for → real gases which leads to the → van der Waals equation as a → first approximation. It is of the form P(V - b) [exp (a/VRT)] = RT, where P is the pressure, V is the volume, T is the thermodynamic temperature, R is the → gas constant, and a and b are the constants characteristic of the gas.

See also: Named after Conrad Dieterici (1858-1929), a German physicist; → equation.