Atomic potential and physical properties

[HydrogenBond]

This is a new theory for correlating the physical properties of materials. It is centered on the universal ground state of atoms. As way of an example, consider if iron (Fe) was the only atom in town such that it was not under the influence of any source of reduction or oxidation potential; just Fe atoms acting together. At ambient conditions Fe(0) would form its characteristic metal composed of crystals of atomic Fe. If you look at this closely, the crystal structure allows the Fe atoms to share electron density with its neighbors. The net result is that the universal ground state of Fe is actually something like Fe (0-), with the slight minus indicative of the little extra electron density it is able to share via cystal formation.

 

This Fe(0-) is what I call the ground state of the iron atom. If the ground state of Fe was Fe(0) there would be no need to form crystals, since any further electron sharing would create an unstable state. But since forming crystals to make Fe(0-) adds stability to all the Fe atoms it is even more stable than Fe(0). The high melting point of Fe is indicative of the stability in its ground state; it will maintain that ground state even with substantial energy input. The potential between Fe(0) and Fe(0-) is reflected in the physical properties of iron. Even forming crystals instead of being amorphous is reflected in this potential, since crystals allows for better electron sharing.

 

Next let us bring a different atom into the picture, say oxygen. This is a lot more like the real world of chemistry. In this case, if there were equal amounts of atoms of Fe and O, the two atoms would form FeO, with the state of the Fe(+2) and O(-2). The question I asked myself, since the atomic ground state of Fe is Fe(0-) and now it is in (Fe+2), will there still be a potential in the iron, that will make it try to get back to Fe(0-). It can't take electrons back from O, but it can, to some extent, regain something via the physical properties of FeO. For example, if it become magnetized it can attract Fe(0-) to the Fe (+2).

 

A good analogy for this affect is like a pride of lions. The lionesses bring home the bacon (electrons). The lion (oxygen) eats the lion's share and then the remains are shared in the pecking order of the lionesses. The very last lioness gets her share but still may have a hungry belly. So it eats the bones and gristle (physical properties). It is not the good stuff but it still fills her gut to some extent.

 

By looking at physical properties of materials one can almost deduce the relative amount of potential remaining to reach the ground state, with higher ground state potential resulting in higher melting and boiling points. For some materials, even at high temperature there is still a substantial potential, enough to overcome the heat and bind a material so the sub-lioness can still get the bones and gristle.

 

One of the most notable of compounds for doing this is water. For such a small and light molecule is has a very high melting and boiling point. The oxygen gets the lion's share of the electrons. The little lioness hydrogen gets some little but is still hungry. The unique properties of water are due to the hydrogen trying to approach its ground state in an environment that makes it very difficult. In spite of the stability offered by the hydrogen bonding in liquid water, if you put metallic iron in water, the water will act as a catalyst for corrosion. The hydrogen of water is still hungry and tries to share some of the electron density of iron, but O2 scopes it up.

 

The ground state of hydrogen appears to be connected to H2. It is so satisfied in this state that it has one of the lowest melting and boiling points of all materials. In other words, if H were the only atoms in town, after it forms H2, there is little need to van der Waals share with other H2. The temperature has to get really low for its potential to increase and then it becomes H2(0-).

 

Part of the reason hydrogen has lingering potential in water, even when it forms hydrogen bonds is connected to the configuration of the electrons it is forced to share. In the -OH bond it has two partial electrons with oxygen having these electrons more of the time. When it forms a hydrogen bond it has to add another partial electron on top of the two it is partially sharing. The charge may become zero but the magnetic addition is not optimized due to the extra odd electron. This may be its fair share in water, but the hydrogen is still active looking for addtional bones and gristle. One result is the pH affect, with the spontaneous formation OH- lowering the hydrogen potential. This is short lived victory, since other hydogen are forced into the higher potential H3O+, which shorten the victory.

 

The hydrogen atom in the living state is bonded to O,N, C to name the top three. Its covalent bonding connection to the highly electronegative O and N pull H the furthest away from its ground state. It form hydrogen bonds to zero itself in the aqueous environment, but it still falls short of its ground state. The result is the continuous saga of hydrogen attempting to reach ground state. The result is life. In other words, Fe may form metal, crystals, high BP/MP and even magnetics to help reach ground state, by hydrogen requires life.

[ronthepon]

I notice that there are a few new ideas here. 'll just comment a bit.

 

As way of an example, consider if iron (Fe) was the only atom in town such that it was not under the influence of any source of reduction or oxidation potential; just Fe atoms acting together. At ambient conditions Fe(0) would form its characteristic metal composed of crystals of atomic Fe. If you look at this closely, the crystal structure allows the Fe atoms to share electron density with its neighbors. The net result is that the universal ground state of Fe is actually something like Fe (0-), with the slight minus indicative of the little extra electron density it is able to share via cystal formation.

However, it's not quite right to say that charge is the only reason for atomic interactions.

 

Also, while Fe(0-), as you designate the atom in the metallic cyrstal does accept share of electrons with it's neighbours, it also acts as the donor and donates it's electrons to the electron cloud. So over a somewhat longish peiriod of time, it would be correct to say that the iron does not have any magnitude of higher effective charge.

 

Which unfortunately works against the idea of the Fe(0-) concept, and renders it unnessecary...

 

This Fe(0-) is what I call the ground state of the iron atom. If the ground state of Fe was Fe(0) there would be no need to form crystals, since any further electron sharing would create an unstable state. But since forming crystals to make Fe(0-) adds stability to all the Fe atoms it is even more stable than Fe(0). The high melting point of Fe is indicative of the stability in its ground state; it will maintain that ground state even with substantial energy input. The potential between Fe(0) and Fe(0-) is reflected in the physical properties of iron. Even forming crystals instead of being amorphous is reflected in this potential, since crystals allows for better electron sharing.

As I understand it, this paragraph kinda emphasises on the iron lattice being stable because iron(0-) is stable, as compared to iron(0). However this also hints that the addition of a little bit of positive charge to the metallic lattice (thus turning it positive enough to turn Fe(0-) to Fe(0) in the lattice) will either severely de-stabilise the lattice and will require a great deal of work to be induced.

(That goes with the assumption that (0-) refers to a small potential on individual atoms.

 

Perhaps the positively charged iron would sublime or something at room temperature. Obviously we don't observe anything of the kind.

 

Just my comments on the general concept...