intermolecular attractive forces hold the molecules in contact, although they still have sufficient KE to move past each other. Intermolecular attractive forces, collectively referred to as van der Waals forces, are responsible for the behavior of liquids and solids and are electrostatic in nature.
The attractive forces (bonds) in a liquid are strong enough to keep the particles close together, but weak enough to let them move around each other. For example, Liquids are useful in car brake systems because they flow and cannot be compressed.
