The Van der waals forces of attraction operates between

The Van der Waals forces of attraction operate between molecules. These are weak forces of attraction that occur due to momentary changes in the electron distribution within molecules. Here's a simple explanation:

• Van der Waals forces include interactions that occur not from permanent charges (like those in ions) but from temporary or transient dipoles that momentarily exist even in non-polar molecules.
• These forces can be divided into different types, such as London dispersion forces and dipole-dipole interactions:
• London Dispersion Forces: This type of Van der Waals force is found in all molecules, regardless of whether they are polar or non-polar. It arises due to the momentary unequal distribution of electrons in a molecule, causing a temporary dipole which induces a dipole in a neighboring molecule.
• Dipole-Dipole Interactions: These occur between molecules that have permanent dipoles, such as when one end of a molecule is slightly negative and the other end is slightly positive. The positive end of one molecule will be attracted to the negative end of another.

Therefore, the forces can affect the physical properties of molecular compounds, such as boiling and melting points, but do not generally involve charged particles like cations or anions.