On the non-existence of parallel universes in chemistry
Foundations of Chemistry 13 (1):11-37 (2011)
| Abstract | This treatise presents thoughts on the divide that exists in chemistry between those who seek their understanding within a universe wherein the laws of physics apply and those who prefer alternative universes wherein the laws are suspended or ‘bent’ to suit preconceived ideas. The former approach is embodied in the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), a theory based upon the properties of a system’s observable distribution of charge. Science is experimental observation followed by appeal to theory that, upon occasion, leads to new experiments. This is the path that led to the development of the molecular structure hypothesis—that a molecule is a collection atoms with characteristic properties linked by a network of bonds that impart a structure—a concept forged in the crucible of nineteenth century experimental chemistry. One hundred and fifty years of experimental chemistry underlie the realization that the properties of some total system are the sum of its atomic contributions. The concept of a functional group, consisting of a single atom or a linked set of atoms, with characteristic additive properties forms the cornerstone of chemical thinking of both molecules and crystals and Dalton’s atomic hypothesis has emerged as the operational theory of chemistry. We recognize the presence of a functional group in a given system and predict its effect upon the static, reactive and spectroscopic properties of the system in terms of the characteristic properties assigned to that group. QTAM gives physical substance to the concept of a functional group | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,631 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesMark E. Eberhart & Travis E. Jones (forthcoming). The Two Faces of Chemistry: Can They Be Reconciled? Foundations of Chemistry:1-9.
N. Sukumar (forthcoming). The Atom in a Molecule as a Mereological Construct in Chemistry. Foundations of Chemistry:1-7.
Alan F. Chalmers (2008). Atom and Aether in Nineteenth-Century Physical Science. Foundations of Chemistry 10 (3).
W. H. Eugen Schwarz (2007). Recommended Questions on the Road Towards a Scientific Explanation of the Periodic System of Chemical Elements with the Help of the Concepts of Quantum Physics. Foundations of Chemistry 9 (2).
Hinne Hettema (forthcoming). Austere Quantum Mechanics as a Reductive Basis for Chemistry. Foundations of Chemistry:1-16.
Richard M. Pagni (2009). The Weak Nuclear Force, the Chirality of Atoms, and the Origin of Optically Active Molecules. Foundations of Chemistry 11 (2):105-122.
S. H. Vollmer (2003). The Philosophy of Chemistry Reformulating Itself: Nalni Bhushan and Stuart Rosenfeld's of Minds and Molecules: New Philosophical Perspectives on Chemistry. Philosophy of Science 70 (2):383-390.
Alan Rocke (forthcoming). What Did “Theory” Mean to Nineteenth-Century Chemists? Foundations of Chemistry:1-12.
Giovanni Villani (forthcoming). Structured System in Chemistry: Comparison with Mechanics and Biology. Foundations of Chemistry:1-17.
Gabor Pallo (2011). Early Impact of Quantum Physics on Chemistry: George Hevesy's Work on Rare Earth Elements and Michael Polanyi's Absorption Theory. Foundations of Chemistry 13 (1):51-61.
Keith S. Taber (2003). The Atom in the Chemistry Curriculum: Fundamental Concept, Teaching Model or Epistemological Obstacle? Foundations of Chemistry 5 (1):43-84.
Mario Bunge (1982). Is Chemistry a Branch of Physics? Journal for General Philosophy of Science 13 (2):209-223.
Guillermo Restrepo & José Villaveces (2011). Chemistry, a Lingua Philosophica. Foundations of Chemistry 13 (3):233-249.
Emma Tobin (2010). Microstructuralism and Macromolecules: The Case of Moonlighting Proteins. Foundations of Chemistry 12 (1):41-54.
Robin Le Poidevin (2005). Missing Elements and Missing Premises: A Combinatorial Argument for the Ontological Reduction of Chemistry. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 56 (1):117 - 134.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2011-04-26Total downloads34 ( #35,263 of 548,972 )Recent downloads (6 months)2 ( #37,438 of 548,972 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
