From shenkin@still3.chem.columbia.edu Tue Mar 14 11:13:53 1995 Received: from mailhub.cc.columbia.edu for shenkin@still3.chem.columbia.edu by www.ccl.net (8.6.10/930601.1506) id KAA08582; Tue, 14 Mar 1995 10:20:16 -0500 Received: from still3.chem.columbia.edu by mailhub.cc.columbia.edu with SMTP id AA07408 (5.65c+CU/IDA-1.4.4/HLK for <@mailhub.cc.columbia.edu:CHEMISTRY@ccl.net>); Tue, 14 Mar 1995 10:20:15 -0500 Received: by still3.chem.columbia.edu (931110.SGI/930416.SGI.AUTO) for @mailhub.cc.columbia.edu:CHEMISTRY@ccl.net id AA09048; Tue, 14 Mar 95 10:20:14 -0500 From: "Peter Shenkin" Message-Id: <9503141020.ZM9046@still3.chem.columbia.edu> Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 10:20:11 -0500 In-Reply-To: nauss@ucmod2.che.uc.EDU (Jeffrey L. Nauss) "CCL:Spelling question" (Mar 13, 2:10pm) References: <9503131910.AA14030@ucmod2.che.uc.edu> X-Mailer: Z-Mail (3.1.0 22feb94 MediaMail) To: nauss@ucmod2.che.uc.EDU, CHEMISTRY@ccl.net Subject: Re: CCL:Spelling question Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Mime-Version: 1.0 On Mar 13, 2:10pm, Jeffrey L. Nauss wrote: > Subject: CCL:Spelling question > > Sorry about the rather mundane question but... > > We have a minor controversy here. What is the correct spelling > for van der Waals parameters or forces? ... > c. van der Waals parameters (lower case v and no apostrophy) His name was "van der Waals". If one wanted to use the possessive, one would refer to "van der Waals' parameters", or, in England, "van der Waals's parameters", but certainly not "van der Waal's parameters". Should the possessive be used? Probably not. Looking through the index of Levine's "Physical Chemistry", I see "van der Waals equation", "van der Waals force", etc., etc. However, we also have "Stokes' law" and "Trouton's rule", so a case can be made for the possessive, I suppose. A case can also be made for "van-der-Waals parameters" (by analogy to "The New-York Historical Society", (complex noun serving as an adjective) but this would probably be deemed pedantic. Then again, you do have a .edu address.... -P. -- ************************ The secret of life: ************************* *Peter S. Shenkin, Box 768 Havemeyer Hall, Chemistry, Columbia Univ.,* * New York, NY 10027; shenkin@columbia.edu; (212) 854-5143 * ************* If you find a loose thread, don't pull it. *************