the "ask crazychemgirl a question" thread

looking to teach.. I want to inspire future chemists!

OK, I find that analogies are a good way of explaining and teaching subjects that are difficult to observe and understand first-hand -- comparing electrical flow through a wire to water flow through a hose, for example. But the limits of the analogy (and there are always limits) need to be pointed out, too.

So back when I took high school chemistry (in the late Mesolithic) we were told to think of electrons as little planets circling the nucleus/sun. It had severe limits (which were not explained to me) but it was simple and two-dimensional and you could think about 'empty slots' in the orbit of one atom matching up with shared electrons from another atom. Or something like that.

More recently I've read about quantum energy states and clouds of probable location of electrons and so forth. A more accurate description than the old analogy, but much harder to get my head around.

Do you know of better ways of visualizing chemical bonds? One more accurate than sub-atomic marbles orbiting sub-atomic billiard balls, but also more comprehensible than just the scientific notation of energy states?

(Sorry I couldn't make this a more erotic post..... ;))
 
OK, I find that analogies are a good way of explaining and teaching subjects that are difficult to observe and understand first-hand -- comparing electrical flow through a wire to water flow through a hose, for example. But the limits of the analogy (and there are always limits) need to be pointed out, too.

So back when I took high school chemistry (in the late Mesolithic) we were told to think of electrons as little planets circling the nucleus/sun. It had severe limits (which were not explained to me) but it was simple and two-dimensional and you could think about 'empty slots' in the orbit of one atom matching up with shared electrons from another atom. Or something like that.

More recently I've read about quantum energy states and clouds of probable location of electrons and so forth. A more accurate description than the old analogy, but much harder to get my head around.

Do you know of better ways of visualizing chemical bonds? One more accurate than sub-atomic marbles orbiting sub-atomic billiard balls, but also more comprehensible than just the scientific notation of energy states?

(Sorry I couldn't make this a more erotic post..... ;))

ok.. so electron bonds ... one way to think of them is to think of how they move.. so bonds can vibrate not unlike a weight on a spring... or ionic bonds you can think as magnets.. positive and negative being attracted to each other.
 
as well... you can think of it like two people trying to hug... the overlap depends on how big the people are ..Mike and Molly obviously don't have as big an overlap as two skinny people.
 
as well... you can think of it like two people trying to hug... the overlap depends on how big the people are ..Mike and Molly obviously don't have as big an overlap as two skinny people.

OK, this is an image worth exploring.... Hugs and sharing and swapping electrons. Oxy-girl in a threeway with two hydrogen guys? Does it get you wet? I know, you're more into O2..... :cool:
 
What do you hope to do with your chemical knowledge? Are you after a Nobel Prize or is it just to achieve a high educational standard?
So chemistry is about money?

Then make methamphetamine.

Or work for the Department of Defense so they can devise new and more incredible ways to kill people.
 
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