Factors of interaction between atoms

[mather]

hello!

I want to know which factors determine the strength of interactions between two atoms (which both or one or none can be a part of a bigger molecule)

thanks

 

[chill_factor]

this gets very complicated very fast. It is not a simple problem at all. But in general the greater the difference of electronegativity between 2 atoms, the stronger their bond will be.

 

[mather]

what is complicated about it?
I just need a complete list of all the factors, not explanation of each one

 

[chill_factor]

because there's a lot of exceptions especially for transition metals.

but in general these are useful:

electronegativity
orbital completion and octet rule
acid/base
symmetry
redox potential

 

[mather]

distance?
other atoms near?

 

[chill_factor]

distance: they have to be pretty close. typical bond lengths are nanometers and there's no way that something on one side of the room can "immediately" react with something on the other side. what happens is that one thing is a "source" of reactant molecules/atoms and it diffuses to the other reactants. but usually we don't care about distance because in a chemical plant in New Orleans we don't care what's going on in Seattle; anything that's relevant to the reaction is already there and can be accounted for with diffusion and convection.

other atoms nearby: usually doesn't matter except for 2 things: enzymes and catalysts, but neither are atoms.

 

[mather]

because there's a lot of exceptions especially for transition metals.

but in general these are useful:

electronegativity
orbital completion and octet rule
acid/base
symmetry
redox potential

acid/base isn't a matter of electronegativity?
redox potential isn't a matter of electronegativity?

other atoms nearby: usually doesn't matter except for 2 things: enzymes and catalysts, but neither are atoms.

in any large organic molecule, nearby atoms don't affect the atoms and thus their interaction between them?

 

[mather]

anyone?

 

[Einstein Mcfly]

anyone?

What are you actually asking here? Your question is so vague that it's impossible to answer. "Factors of interaction between atoms" is basically a huge portion of physical chemistry and the entirely of computational/quantum chemistry depending on what level of detail you want. Unless you clarify what you're asking the only proper answer is "Take four years of undergraduate chemistry followed by a PhD in physical chemistry".