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Introduction to Chemistry: 8.0 Introduction

Introduction to Chemistry
8.0 Introduction
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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Table Of Contents
  5. Introduction
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgements
  8. About the Authors
  9. Chapter 1. Chemistry: An Experimental Science
    1. 1.0 Introduction
    2. 1.1 Chemistry in Context
    3. 1.2 Phases and Classification of Matter
    4. 1.3 Physical and Chemical Properties
  10. Chapter 2. Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
    1. 2.0 Introduction
    2. 2.1 Atomic Theory
    3. 2.2 Beyond Dalton’s Atomic Theory
    4. 2.3 Atomic Structure and Symbols
    5. 2.4 Chemical Formulas
    6. 2.5 The Periodic Table
  11. Chapter 3. Ions, Bonding and Compound Formation
    1. 3.0 Introduction
    2. 3.1 Ionic and Molecular Compounds
    3. 3.2 Nomenclature of Simple Ionic and Molecular Compounds
  12. Chapter 4. Chemical Reactions and Equations
    1. 4.0 Introduction
    2. 4.1 Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations
    3. 4.2 Precipitation Reactions
    4. 4.3 Acid-Base Reactions
    5. 4.4 Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
  13. Chapter 5. Bridging the Macroscopic and Microscopic Realms
    1. 5.0 Introduction
    2. 5.1 Formula Mass
    3. 5.2 The Mole
    4. 5.3 Reaction Stoichiometry
    5. 5.4 Limiting Reactant and Reaction Yields
  14. Chapter 6. Solutions
    1. 6.0 Introduction
    2. 6.1 Solution Concentration and Molarity
    3. 6.2 Other Concentration Units
  15. Chapter 7. Chemical Bonding and Lewis Structures
    1. 7.0 Introduction
    2. 7.1 Covalent Bonding
    3. 7.2 Lewis Dot Structures
    4. 7.3 Lewis Structures and Covalent Compounds
  16. Additional Reading: Electronic Structure of Atoms
    1. 8.0 Introduction
    2. 8.1 Electromagnetic Energy
    3. 8.2 Quantization of the Energy of Electrons
    4. 8.3 Development of Quantum Theory
    5. 8.4 Electronic Structure of Atoms
    6. 8.5 Periodic Trends
  17. Chapter LAB1. Making Measurements
    1. Introduction
    2. LAB1.1 Expressing Numbers
    3. LAB1.2 Measurements and Units
    4. LAB1.3 Measurement Uncertainty, Accuracy, and Precision
    5. LAB1.4 Mathematical Treatment of Measurement Results – Unit Conversions
    6. LAB1.5 Density – A Derived Unit and Conversion Factor
  18. Appendix
  19. Appendix A: The Periodic Table
  20. Appendix B: Essential Mathematics
  21. Appendix C: Units and Conversion Factors
  22. Appendix D: Fundamental Physical Constants

31

8.0 Introduction

Introduction

Normal light microscopes can magnify objects up to about 1,500 times. Electron microscopes can magnify objects up to 1,000,000 times. Why can electron microscopes magnify images so much?

A microscope’s resolution depends on the wavelength of light used. The smaller the wavelength, the more a microscope can magnify. Light is a wave, and, as such, it has a wavelength associated with it. The wavelength of visible light, which is detected by the eyes, varies from about 700 nm to 400 nm.

One of the startling conclusions about modern science is that electrons also act as waves. However, the wavelength of electrons is much, much shorter—about 0.5 to 1 nm. This allows electron microscopes to magnify 600–700 times more than light microscopes. This allows us to see even smaller features in a world that are invisible to the naked eye.

Atoms act the way they do because of their structure. We already know that atoms are composed of protons and neutrons which are located in the nucleus, and of electrons which orbit around the nucleus. But we need to know the structural details to understand why atoms react the way they do.

Virtually everything we know about atoms ultimately comes from light. Before we can understand the composition of atoms (especially electrons), we need to understand the properties of light.

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8.1 Electromagnetic Energy
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Copyright © 2020 by Carol Higginbotham. Introduction to Chemistry by Carol Higginbotham is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
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