How Do Atoms Bond Together and What Forces Are Involved?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the nature of atomic bonding, specifically the forces involved in bonding atoms together. Participants explore different types of bonds and seek clarity on fundamental forces, particularly in the context of quantum mechanics and chemical interactions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about how atoms bond and the forces involved, seeking clear answers.
  • Another participant suggests that there are various types of chemical bonding and questions the clarity of previous answers received.
  • A participant with knowledge of quantum mechanics invites detailed explanations regarding atomic bonding and seeks to identify the fundamental force responsible for it.
  • One participant identifies the electromagnetic force as the fundamental force involved in atomic bonding.
  • There is a suggestion that the types of bonds discussed are models of electromagnetic interactions and should not be overly rigidly interpreted.
  • References to literature are made, including a specific article that discusses the physical mechanism of chemical bonds.
  • Participants discuss the limitations of literature, with one stating that no book can explain everything about atomic bonding and cautioning against the term "Atomic Bonding".

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding and clarity regarding atomic bonding. There is no consensus on the completeness of explanations or the terminology used, and multiple viewpoints on the nature and types of bonds remain present.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the dependence on definitions and the complexity of atomic bonding, indicating that the discussion may be limited by the varying levels of understanding among participants.

Allojubrious
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This may be a simple question, but I still haven't a clear answer to it.
How do atoms bond together? What force is used to bond them together??
(Please if you could answer both of these questions it would be great.)

Thanks.
 
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Allojubrious said:
This may be a simple question, but I still haven't a clear answer to it.
How do atoms bond together? What force is used to bond them together??
(Please if you could answer both of these questions it would be great.)

Thanks.

Er.. what type of answers were you given? Were you given answers that were not clear, not something you could understand, or simply something you just don't want to accept?

Bonds between atoms come in many different types, which I'm sure you've been told if you've asked about it. For example, this clearly explains some of the different types of chemical bonding:

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/chemical/bond.html

So based on this, what exactly is it that you do not understand? And at what level do you understand quantum mechanics to be able to understand the technical details of such explanation?

Zz.
 
Well, I know quite a bit about Quantum Mechanics, so feel free to explain however you wish in quantum mechanics. But it is the atomic bonding in general that I do not understand, and especially I'm trying to figure out what force is used for atomic bonding. But the link you gave me helps very much, thank you. So right now that question is which fundamental force is used in atomic bonding??
Also in the link you gave me are those the only types of bonds there are or are there more?

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
...which fundamental force is used in atomic bonding??
Electromagnetic force.

Also in the link you gave me are those the only types of bonds there are or are there more?

There can be other type of bonds as well depending upon the approach of the researcher/professor. The various bonds are just the models for the EM interaction and hence they should not be taken too seriously, though, they are great to get some physical insight into what is going on.
 
Oh well thank you very much for the help!
 
Try to read:

W. Kutzelnigg
The physical mechanism of the chemical bond.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 12, 546 (1973)
 
Now does this book explain everything about Atomic Bonding and all types of Atomic bonding??
 
No book can possibly explain everything about any kind of bonding. Please do not use the term "Atomic Bonding". There are molecules once there is any kind of bonding.
 
Well thanks anyway for the book and the help.
 
  • #10
Its not a book but an article which you can find here
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.197305461/abstract
or in your library.
 
  • #11
Oh, well thanks for the link!
 

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