Quantum chemistry

Introduction Molecular orbital theory allows for the relation between the nature of chemical bonds and the properties of molecules.1 Many times, the frontier molecular orbitals, named HOMO and LUMO, are analyzed in order to predict these properties. In this lab, each double bond corresponds to a molecular orbital. The HOMO, or highest occupied molecular orbital is the most energetic (highest n-value) orbital that contains an electron. The n-value is equal to the number of double bonds present. The orbital that corresponds to the first excited state is referred to as the LUMO, or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. The transition of an electron from the HOMO orbital to the LUMO orbital is the transition that requires the least amount of energy. The energy difference between the frontier orbitals can be determined through the use of spectroscopy. When the absorption spectrum of a solution is plotted, the peak that occurs at the highest wavelength corresponds to the transition from the HOMO to the LUMO orbital. Most of the chemicals involved in this lab are aromatic. A molecule can be aromatic if it is cyclic planar. However, they must also have a conjugated π-system of 4n+2 electrons.1 Most aromatic compounds are benzenoid, meaning that they derive from “the 6-membered rings of benzene”.1 There are also non-benzenoid aromatic compounds such as azulene, which do not consist of fused, 6-carbon rings. Azulene for example, is composed of a 7-carbon ring fused with a 5-carbon ring…

Erwin Schrödinger, an Austrian born chemist, gained his famed for his contributions to quantum mechanics. Some of his contributions to chemistry and quantum mechanics were his books describing his techniques and basic info behind his work, his paradox, Schrodinger’s cat, which created a lot of new discoveries in chemistry, and his equation that changed how many people viewed the atom and its electrons. At at young age, Schrodinger was strongly influenced by the philosophy of Austrian philosopher…

Introduction Alice in Quantumland is an allegory of quantum physics by Robert Gilmore. In this book Robert sends Alice to Quantumland, a whole new Wonderland, smaller than an atom, where each attraction demonstrates a different aspect. The book is about quantum physics and makes a story about it, making it more understandable. Key Idea 1 Bosons are particles that follow Bose-Einsteins statistics. It makes up one of the two classes of particles, the other is fermions. Fermions are electrons,…

Science is intuitive. The tallest hill can be the shortest mountain. It is through our intuition that we come to know that the big ones are mountains and the little ones are hills. In some ways, the same is true for science. Science encompasses everything ranging from chemistry to archaeology, microbiology to astronomy. There are so many different aspects to science that it is hard to boil down to one concrete and concise definition. Science is involved with the study of the natural world. This…

The Quantum-Mechanical Model of the Atom Introduction: The theory of quantum mechanics explains the behavior of the particles, such as photons (particles of light) and electrons, in the atomic and subatomic realms. Since the electrons of an atom determine many of its chemical and physical properties, quantum mechanics is foundational to understanding chemistry. Quantum-Mechanical Model- a model that explains the strange behavior of electrons Electromagnetic Radiation- a type of energy…

Introduction: Quantum physics, also known as quantum mechanics, is the branch of physics that uses quantum theory to predict and describe the properties of a physical system. While chemistry is the science of composition, properties, structures, and reactions of matter; it is also known as the ‘central science’. While reading the book Alice in Quantumland by Robert Gilmore, one is able to link the two together, causing a curiosity to learn more. It is amazing to see how the two correlate and…

Over the past four and a half years, my scientific writing has developed tremendously through different courses and styles of lab reports. Initially I started off in my undergraduate studies by writing a few biology lab reports in my courses, however chemistry lab reports are not comparable to these lab reports, in which the content and structure are different. Once I got used to writing chemistry style lab reports, the format and style of writing changed again when I reached Quantum Mechanics.…

There are numerous scientists who have positively impacted the field of Chemistry; from Robert Bunsen to George Washington Carver, chemists have and continue to shape the publics knowledge of Chemistry. However, one chemist stands out from all the rest because of his historical, societal, and person significance: George Claude Pimentel. Pimentel’s life, work, and contribution to Chemistry have shaped this field and impacted it in ways that other scientists have not. Background George Claude…

The longer I spend studying chemistry and biology, the more I find patterns and overlaps between the two disciplines. As I’ve matured in my studies, I have found the boundaries between the sciences to blur, which has led to my desire to do biochemistry. The course encompasses several science disciplines from biophysics and bioengineering to cellular biology and organic chemistry and looks at these from an analytical and quantitative standpoint. The diversity and interdisciplinary nature of…

It is also an important part of the study of chemistry as it helps us study the nature and properties of matter in its smallest and most basic forms. The purpose of this experiment was to use spectroscopy to observe and record the visible emission spectra of hydrogen and other samples to determine certain properties of these spectra. In this experiment recorded the spectra of several element samples and found several properties of these spectra using fundamental equations in spectroscopy. I…