Introduction and Outline

Outline

In this chapter we'll start at the foundational interatomic interaction - the atomic bond - as we work to understand how materials structure.

The outline is as follows:

• Section 3.3- Exploration of a Model of Two Atoms: We'll begin by modeling and observing interatomic interactions between two atoms using a molecular dynamics simulation. We don't dig into the details of what makes the simulation work, yet, we'll just use it.
• Section 3.4 - The Atomic Hypothesis: We'll explore an interesting thought experiment inspired by one of the foremost physicists of the last century, Richard Feynman.
• Section 3.5 - The Electrostatic Interpretation of Bonding: There are many ways to model the atomic bond. We'll work with one which considers only electrostatics.
• Section 3.6- Effective Nuclear Charge and Electronegativity: We'll leverage the electrostatic bond model to explore the chemical phenomenon of electronegativity.
• Section 3.7 - The Electrostatic Interpretation of Bond Types: We'll again use the electrostatic interpretation of bonds to explain the bond classifications mentioned in previous sections.
• Section 3.10 - Feedback and Comments: Please let us know what you think of the chapter by providing feedback in this section.

Outcomes

By the end of the this module, we want students to be able to, in broad terms:

1. Describe how the electrostatic construction of atoms leads to the phenomenon of bonding.
2. Connect the concepts of effective nuclear charge and electron position to chemical property of electronegativity.
3. Leverage the electrostatic model of bonding to identify and describe covalent, ionic, metallic, and secondary bond classifications.
4. Correlate bond classifications broadly with materials properties such as electrical and mechanical properties, among others.
5. Classify materials' degree of mixed bonding (e.g. metal-ionic, metal-covalent, or ionic-covalent) based on average electronegativity and electronegativity difference in bonded atoms.