Chemistry Weekly Newsletter - Monday, September 29, 2014

Chemistry newsletter

Top new questions this week: Why is gold golden? Bulk gold has a very characteristic warm yellow shine to it, whereas almost all other metals have a grey or silvery color. Where does this come from? I have heard that this property arises from … inorganic-chemistry computational-chemistry theoretical-chemistry   asked by tschoppi 51 votes answered by Geoff Hutchison 48 votes How do you melt metals with super high melting points? At the Renaissance fair a few years back I was watching a smith forge metal into shapes. During this time a very odd question came to me. I was wondering what the furnace was made of. My logic stated … melting-point   asked by Griffin 19 votes answered by ron 21 votes How Quantum Software Packages Work? If one wants to calculate a moderate size Alkane ( with say 10-15 Carbons , assuming 100 electrons , with Restricted Hartree Fock based methods ) we can simply say that electron-electron part will be … quantum-chemistry software density-functional-theory   asked by Aug 13 votes answered by Geoff Hutchison 10 votes How many molecules does it take to have a phase? A single molecule can't be solid, liquid or gas. It's just a molecule. A mole of something can be any of the three. So, how many molecules does it take for phases to be meaningful? I realize that … theoretical-chemistry phase   asked by terdon 12 votes answered by Geoff Hutchison 11 votes By what mechanisms can molecules with the same empirical formula be so different? I understand the difference between empirical and chemical formula. But I always thought that compounds and molecules took their specific shape because it's the lowest energy configuration. How then, … physical-chemistry bond stability   asked by Moppentapper 9 votes answered by ron 16 votes Why does K+ have 0 valence electrons? If we take a K atom and take away an electron why does it now have 0 valence electrons as it states in my General Chemistry textbook? I would think that if we do this, it would have the same exact … inorganic-chemistry electronic-configuration   asked by user3138766 7 votes answered by ron 14 votes Mathematics in inorganic and quantum chemistry Is mathematics important to learn concepts in inorganic chemistry, such as point groups, point symmetry, because doing these topics requires one to determine the symmetry of the elements and to … inorganic-chemistry quantum-chemistry   asked by wei jit 7 votes answered by Wildcat 9 votes Greatest hits from previous weeks: What is the difference between graphite oxide and graphene oxide? I am considering making a sheet of graphene using the LightScribe technique and I have read that I need graphite oxide. However when I look up graphite oxide for sale, graphene oxide pops up. Are … terminology nanotechnology graphite   asked by Pegan 6 votes answered by Jerry 4 votes Why are intramolecular Hydrogen bonds weaker than intermolecular hydrogen bonds? Why are intramolecular Hydrogen bonds weaker than intermolecular hydrogen bonds ? The question is itself in the main topic. Thanks in advance... :) physical-chemistry   asked by DarkMagician 2 votes answered by kaliaden 2 votes Can you answer these? Degree of dissociation of strong electrolytes in concentrated solutions of ionic substances Why is the dissociation of strong electrolytes complete in very dilute solutions of ionic substances but less likely to be so in more concentrated solutions? Before seeing this, I thought a strong … acid-base electrochemistry   asked by user1.618 1 vote Is there a compound where one element has a CCP structure with all voids occupied by others? My Google-fu hasn't got me anywhere. All results have been quite fuzzy about it, nothing explicit. inorganic-chemistry solid-state-chemistry   asked by gsurfer04 2 votes "Carbon snakes" - what physico-chemical process causes the exothermic response? Make a "carbon snake" requires the mixing of strong sulphuric acid with sugar, as explained in this about.chemistry webpage - the reaction causes rapid dehydration of the sugar and produces steam in … physical-chemistry reaction   asked by Omen 5 votes

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