Gilbert Lewis first introduced his theoretical dot structures in 1916. Today, these same dot structures are used to illustrate the chemical bonding nature of atoms. How did Lewis formulate these brilliantly simple representations of nature? The Lewis Dot Structures we know today actually derive their functionality from Lewis’ own model of the atom, the Theory of the Cubical Atom. This essay will explore the functionality of Lewis’ cubical atom and how this model led to the Lewis Dot Structures.
The Theory of the Cubical Atom was first published in 1916 in the article The Atom and the Molecule; however, it was developed fourteen years prior in 1902. The model’s purpose was to illustrate an atoms valence, or “combining power of an element” (Oxford Dictionary). He based his model on Abegg’s Law, which states: “the total …show more content…
Lewis chose a three-dimensional structure that contained eight vexes as representations for valence electrons. Consequently, he chose the cube because it contains eight vexes. Its orderly shape appealed to the common scientific notion that the universe contains patterns and organization. A conceivable structure like the cube allowed for easy application of Lewis’ atomic postulates.
Lewis’ model explained his six postulates about the chemical behaviors of an atom. The first postulate is that an atom has an essential kernel that does not change in chemical reactions and “possesses an excess of positive charges corresponding to the ordinal number of the group” in which the
The Theory of the Cubical Atom was first published in 1916 in the article The Atom and the Molecule; however, it was developed fourteen years prior in 1902. The model’s purpose was to illustrate an atoms valence, or “combining power of an element” (Oxford Dictionary). He based his model on Abegg’s Law, which states: “the total …show more content…
Lewis chose a three-dimensional structure that contained eight vexes as representations for valence electrons. Consequently, he chose the cube because it contains eight vexes. Its orderly shape appealed to the common scientific notion that the universe contains patterns and organization. A conceivable structure like the cube allowed for easy application of Lewis’ atomic postulates.
Lewis’ model explained his six postulates about the chemical behaviors of an atom. The first postulate is that an atom has an essential kernel that does not change in chemical reactions and “possesses an excess of positive charges corresponding to the ordinal number of the group” in which the