Absolutely Small, Chapter 14: Bigger Molecules, The Shapes of Polyatomic Molecules

The discussion of molecules is extended to molecules with more than two atoms. Most molecules have many more than two atoms. More information is presented about the nature of the electron waves that combine to produce molecular orbitals and bonding. The properties of the molecular orbitals that determine shapes of molecules are introduced. Various important shapes are described and explained in terms of the molecular orbitals. Molecules involving carbon are discussed in considerable detail. Such ôorganic moleculesö are important because they are the basis of life as well as materials such as all of the polymers used to make plastics and clothes. Organic molecules can have very complicated shapes that are described as resulting from the nature of the bonding among carbon atoms.