How do van der Waals forces hold graphite sheets together?

In graphite, carbon atoms are arranged in sheets of fused hexagonal rings where the atoms are held together by strong covalent bonds. These sheets are stacked in parallel, but the distance between the layers is too large to allow for localized covalent bonding.12

Instead, the layers are held together by van der Waals forces, which are relatively weak attractive forces. These forces result from the attraction between the electrons of a carbon atom in one layer and the nuclei of atoms in the neighboring layer. Because these interlayer interactions are significantly weaker than the covalent bonds within the sheets, the layers can easily slide over one another, which accounts for graphite's softness and its utility as a lubricant.3412