Electron cloud atomic model

The transition metals are our premier metals for jewelry making. They have electron configurations that are different from the alkali metals and the alkaline earth metals. Therefore, transition metals exhibit different chemical and physical properties. It is necessary to determine just where electrons reside in transition-metal atoms so we can understand the properties of transition metals and how they bond. To understand these properties and manners of bonding, we must revisit the electron cloud atomic model. 

The space filling model developed by Corey, Pauling, and Koltun is also known as the CPK model, or scale model [197], It shows the relative volume (size) of different elements or of different parts of a molecule (Figure 2-123d). The model is based on spheres that represent the "electron cloud . These atomic spheres can be determined from the van der Waals radii (see Section 2.10.1), which indicate the most stable distance between two atoms (non-bonded nuclei). Since the spheres are all drawn to the same scale, the relative size of the overlapping electron clouds of the atoms becomes evident. The connectivities between atoms, the bonds, are not visualized because they are located beneath the atom spheres and are not visible in a non-transparent display (see Section 2.10). In contrast to other models, the CPK model makes it possible to visualize a first impression of the extent of a molecule. 

The ball and wire display is used for model building Although it is convenient for this purpose other model displays show three dimensional molecular structure more clearly and may be preferred The space filling display is unique m that it portrays a molecule as a set of atom centered spheres The individual sphere radii are taken from experi mental data and roughly correspond to the size of atomic electron clouds Thus the space filling display attempts to show how much space a molecule takes up... 

Both space-filling and electron density models yield similar molecular volumes, and both show the obvious differences in overall size. Because the electron density surfaces provide no discernible boundaries between atoms (and employ no colors to highlight these boundaries), the surfaces may appear to be less informative than space-filling models in helping to decide to what extent a particular atom is exposed . This weakness raises an important point, however. Electrons are associated with a molecule as a whole and not with individual atoms. The space-filling representation of a molecule in terms of discernible atoms does not reflect reality, but rather is an artifact of the model. The electron density surface is more accurate in that it shows a single electron cloud for the entire molecule. 

We often refer to Heitler and London s method as the valence bond (VB) model. A comparison between the experimental and the valence bond potential energy curves shows excellent agreement at large 7 ab but poor quantitative agreement in the valence region (Table 4.3). The cause of this lies in the method itself the VB model starts from atomic wavefunctions and adds as a perturbation the fact that the electron clouds of the atoms are polarized when the molecule is formed. 

Chemistry is the science that deals with the interaction between different forms of matter to bring about a change in the nature of the interacting matter. According to the nuclear model of the atom it is evident that chemical interaction is due to interacting electron clouds. In order to understand chemical interactions it is therefore necessary to understand, in the first place the behaviour of electrons. 

In practice, the harmonic oscillator has limits. In the ideal case, the two atoms can approach and recede with no change in the attractive force and without any repulsive force between electron clouds. In reality, the two atoms will dissociate when far enough apart, and will be repulsed by van der Waal s forces as they come closer. The net effect is the varying attraction between the two in the bond. When using a quantum model, the energy levels would be evenly spaced, making the overtones forbidden. 

An atom is composed of a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by an electron cloud. Theoretically, electrons may be found at any distance from the nucleus, although they preferentially rotate around low-energy orbits or levels. Within a single level, various sublevels can be distinguished. [The term level corresponds to electron shell in the Bohr model. The terminological analogy is shell K = level I (n = 1) shell L = level II (n = 2) shell M = level III (n = 3) shell N = level IV ( = 4) and so on.] Electron levels are established according to four quantum numbers ... 

Space-filling model kits are even less user friendly. They employ specially shaped atomic pieces that clip together, each representing the volume taken up by the atom and its bonding electrons. This system produces a rather more globular model that indicates the whole bulk of the molecule, including the electron clouds that are involved in bonding. The value of this type of model is that it shows just how big the molecule really is, and... 

---