Phases of Matter IX: The Wonder of Water 2
Written by Translator on July 2, 2008 – 7:48 pm -Crossposted at Dailykos.com
Hydrogen bonds are not very strong, but they are common. Looking it from an energetic standpoint, covalent bonds (the pure sharing of electrons, like in diatomic oxygen, for example), then ionic bonds, like in salt, are stronger. But there are lots of hydrogen bonds, and numbers have power. The only other that is so diffuse, and thus so powerful, are metallic bonds. I have covered all of those in previous diaries.
A hydrogen bond forms when a hydrogen atom (the smallest and lightest) is bonded with either nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine. From a zero point approximation, a hydrogen bond is a strong dipole-dipole bond, but they are much more important and quite different.
Tags: Hydrogen bond, Matter, Quatum Mechanics, Teaching, Water
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Phases of Matter III - Amorphous Solids
Written by Translator on June 22, 2008 – 7:49 pm -Getting down to basics, “amorphous” just means that the solid in question can not be isolated to a unit that repeats, like salt or diamond. The units making up amorphous solids are irregular, and not well defined. Let us take charcoal as an example, and it is a complex one, but it serves to make the point.
By definition, charcoal is the residue from the destructive distillation of wood. Wood is a very complex material, and some of its components are somewhat crystalline. But take that wood, and subject it to high heat without any oxygen, and things change.
Tags: Amorphous, Matter, Solids, Teaching
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Phases of Matter I - Overview and Key Concepts
Written by Translator on June 19, 2008 – 3:47 pm -Crossposted at http://Dailykos.com
This diary introduces a new series to follow up the one on the electromagnetic spectrum. Compared to light, phases of matter are extremely complex, so we will break the subjects into small chunks for easier assimilation.
Tags: Gas, Liquid, Matter, Phase, Phase Change, Phase Diagram, Plasma, Solid, Teaching
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