Step 1: Understand that gases do not always behave like ideal gases, especially under high pressure or low temperature.
Step 2: Learn that the van der Waals equation is a modified version of the ideal gas law.
Step 3: Recognize that the equation includes two important factors: the volume of gas molecules and the attractive forces between them.
Step 4: Realize that by including these factors, the van der Waals equation provides a more accurate description of how real gases behave compared to ideal gases.
