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Abstract
Liquid crystals provide for a wide variety of electrical, mechanical and optical properties. The particular property shown depends upon the specific liquid crystalline phase with different phases exhibiting markedly different kinds of phenomena. The differences between each of these phases on a molecular level, on the other hand, is often not so great involving only very subtle changes in the orientational order. This paper reviews the various aspects of molecular order and the corresponding intermolecular interactions believed to be responsible for liquid crystals. The paper begins with the nematic phase and progresses through the smectics to the twisted smectic C phase which is known for its form of ferroelectricity.