Johannes Diderik van der Waals

Dutch physicist (1837–1923)
Person human Q131721
Johannes Diderik van der Waals
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Summary

Johannes Diderik van der Waals was born on November 23, 1837[1], in Leiden[2]. He died on March 8, 1923[3], in Amsterdam[4]. He worked as a physicist[5], chemist[6], mathematician[7], theoretical physicist[8], and university teacher[9]. He ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (2,538 views/month, #7,161 of 1,000,298).[10]

Key Facts

  • Place of burial: Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery[11]
  • Spouse: Anna Magdalena Smit[12]
  • Child: Jacqueline E. van der Waals[13], Johannes Diderik van der Waals Jr.[14]
  • Country of citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands[15]
  • Native language: Dutch[16]
  • Occupation: teacher[17]
  • Field of work: physics[18]
  • Employer: University of Amsterdam[19]
  • Educated at: Leiden University[20]
  • Doctoral advisor: Pieter Rijke[21]
  • Notable work: van der Waals radius[22], van der Waals equation[23]
  • Award received: Nobel Prize in Physics[24]
  • Member of: Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences[25], Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences[26], American Philosophical Society[27], National Academy of Sciences[28], Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei[29]
  • Influenced by: Rudolf Clausius[30]
  • Sex or gender: male[31]
  • Doctoral student: Willem Hendrik Keesom[32], Johannes Diderik van der Waals Jr.[33], Diederik Korteweg[34], Philipp Kohnstamm[35], Obe Postma[36], Henri Adrien Naber[37], Gerrit Hondius Boldingh[38], Johannes C. Schalkwijk[39], Bokko Meilink[40], Cornelius Dorsman[41], Adolf van Thijn[42]
  • Commons category: Johannes Diderik van der Waals[43]
  • Family name: van der Waals[44]
  • Given name: Johannes[45], Diderik[46]
  • IPA transcription: joːˈɦɑnəs ˈdidəˌrɪk vɑn dər ʋaːls[47]
  • Topic's main category: Category:Johannes Diderik van der Waals[48]
  • Commons gallery: Johannes Diderik van der Waals[49]
  • Described by source: Otto's encyclopedia[50], Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary[51]

Body

Works and Contributions

Things named for Johannes Diderik van der Waals include Van der Waals' force[52], van der Waals equation[53], van der Waals radius[54], van der Waals gas[55], Van der Waals[56], and 32893 van der Waals[57].

Why It Matters

Johannes Diderik van der Waals has Wikipedia articles in 29 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[58] He is known by 99 alternative names across languages and contexts.[59]

He has been cited as an influence by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes[60], a physicist[61], 1853–1926[62], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[63], awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics[64], specialised in physics[65] and Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom[66], a chemist[67], 1854–1907[68], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[69].

Entities named for him include Van der Waals' force[52], van der Waals equation[53], van der Waals radius[54], van der Waals gas[55], Van der Waals[56], and 32893 van der Waals[57].

His notable doctoral advisees include Willem Hendrik Keesom[70], a physicist[71], 1876–1956[72], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[73], specialised in physics[74]; Diederik Korteweg[75], a mathematician[76], 1848–1941[77], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[78], specialised in mathematics[79]; and Obe Postma[80], a writer[81], 1868–1963[82], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[83], awarded the Gysbert Japicxpriis[84].

FAQs

Where was Johannes Diderik van der Waals born?

Johannes Diderik van der Waals's place of birth was Leiden[2].

Where did Johannes Diderik van der Waals die?

Johannes Diderik van der Waals passed away in Amsterdam[4].

Who was Johannes Diderik van der Waals married to?

Johannes Diderik van der Waals's spouses include Anna Magdalena Smit[12].

What did Johannes Diderik van der Waals do for work?

Johannes Diderik van der Waals worked as a physicist[5], chemist[6], mathematician[7], theoretical physicist[8], and university teacher[9].

Where did Johannes Diderik van der Waals go to school?

Johannes Diderik van der Waals was educated at Leiden University[20].

What awards did Johannes Diderik van der Waals receive?

Honors received include Nobel Prize in Physics[24].

Who did Johannes Diderik van der Waals influence?

Johannes Diderik van der Waals has been cited as an influence by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes[60] and Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom[66].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] ↑ . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . Album Academicum. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [31] ↑ . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  4. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [15] ↑ . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  6. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [20] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [18] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [5] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  12. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [8] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  15. [9] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  16. [17] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  17. [19] ↑ . Album Academicum. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  18. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  19. [24] ↑ . nobelprize.org. Retrieved . nobelprize.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  20. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  21. [32] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [33] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  23. [34] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  24. [35] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  25. [36] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  26. [37] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  27. [38] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  28. [39] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  29. [40] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  30. [41] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  31. [42] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  32. [43] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  33. [25] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  34. [26] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  35. [27] ↑ . NNDB. wikidata.org.
  36. [28] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  37. [29] ↑ . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  38. [1] ↑ . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  39. [3] ↑ . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  40. [44] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  41. [45] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  42. [46] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  43. [30] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  44. [22] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  45. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  46. [47] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  47. [48] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  48. [49] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  49. [50] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  50. [51] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [60] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [66] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [70] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [75] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [80] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [52] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [53] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [54] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [55] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [56] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [57] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [61] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [62] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [63] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [64] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [65] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [67] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [68] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [69] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [71] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [72] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [73] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [74] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [76] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [77] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [78] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [79] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [81] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [82] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [83] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [84] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [10] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [58] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [59] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Johannes Diderik van der Waals. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/johannes-diderik-van-der-waals
MLA “Johannes Diderik van der Waals.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 18 Oct. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/johannes-diderik-van-der-waals.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_johannes-diderik-van-der-waals_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Johannes Diderik van der Waals}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/johannes-diderik-van-der-waals}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-18}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Johannes Diderik van der Waals — https://4ort.xyz/entity/johannes-diderik-van-der-waals (retrieved 2026-10-18)

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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 2d ago · Birkho · 2026-10-18 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Signature → Unterschrift Johannes Diderik van der Waals niederländischer
    Claims rich → —
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:2||1 */ Signature: Unterschrift Johannes Diderik van der Waals niederländischer Physiker.svg"
  2. 3d ago · OKA bot bot · 2026-10-17 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Claims rich → —
    "/* wbeditentity-statements-multiple-properties-update:0||2 */ source for date of birth, source for date of death from Store norske leksikon ([[Wikidata:Requests for permissions/Bot/OKA bot 2|OKA bot t"
  3. 10d ago · Turbojet · 2026-10-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Sitelink count → 101
    Doctoral student → Willem Hendrik Keesom, Johannes Diderik van der Waals Jr., Diederik Korteweg +8
    Wikipedia languages → ['af', 'an', 'ar', 'arz', 'ast', 'ay', 'az', 'azb', 'ban', 'be', 'be_x_old', 'bg
    Claims rich → —
    "/* wbremoveclaims-remove:1| */ Doctoral student: Johannes Diderik van der Waals Jr."
  4. 8w ago · Mahirtwofivesix · 2026-08-19 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Babelnet id → 00048287n
    Accademia nazionale dei lincei id → 2416-waals-van-der-giovanni
    Arabic ontology lexical concept id → 151061773
    "/* wbeditentity-statements-multiple-properties-update:0||4 */ added/modified IDs mapped to WordNet 3.1"
  5. 14w ago · Nyuhn · 2026-07-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14541 → SkBh9
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/40849|batch #40849]]: ZGBK ID"
  6. 16w ago · Andre Engels · 2026-06-24 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Knaw past member id → PE00003695
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Knaw past member id: PE00003695, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/17377883|Johannes Diderik van der Waals Senior (#17377883)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catal"
  7. 22w ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-16 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation → physicist, chemist, mathematician +3
    Local thumb → —
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/31706|batch #31706]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (6)"
Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.