DISPLAYING THE ROLE OF REPULSIVE AND ATTRACTIVE INTERMOLECULAR FORCESIN FLUIDS

It is shown how computer-simulation-generated data can be used to give a qualitative understanding of the influence of repulsive and attract ive forces on the microscopic and macroscopic behavior of fluids via g raphical display of the radial distribution function and a video illus trating molecular structure and motion. Calculated values of pressure and potential energy are taken as macroscopic references. It is also s hown qualitatively how these different descriptions are interrelated, a fundamental objective of statistical mechanics.