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What do we mean by "Structure "? |
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By the word “structure” we refer to the process of visualizing an object as made up of parts and relating the parts to the entire object. The structure of a galaxy refers to its shape and the arrangement of the stars (and the planets therein) in the galaxy, the distances between them and so on. The structure of a galaxy is not static or frozen as the stars are moving with great speeds relative to one another. The structure of a building refers to its height, the number of floors, rooms, room sizes, the details of its foundation and so on. The structure of a solid material refers to the arrangement of atoms/molecules in the solid, the different types of arrangements and related details. Molecular geometry refers to the arrangement of the constituent atoms relative to one another. These atoms are not "fixed" but are constantly moving (rotating and vibrating) relative to each other. |
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Atoms and molecules contain electrons and the “structure” or the arrangement of electrons in these is referred to as the electronic structure. You may recall that the electronic configuration of a lithium atom is 1s2 2s1. This is only one aspect of the electronic structure of an atom. To describe molecular structure, in addition to the electronic configuration, we have to identify its vibrational and rotational structure. Since electrons and nuclei are not stationary objects, their structure is inherently associated with the dynamical behaviour of these “objects”. |
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In this introductory chapter, we will give examples of several interesting structures in chemistry, describe in brief their technological applications and prepare the groundwork for the necessity of using connotation for understanding the microscopic structure of matter. |
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