chemistry

Periodic systems of small molecules

Periodic systems of small molecules is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Periodic systems of small molecules rather than just read about it. In short: Periodic systems of molecules are charts of molecules similar to the periodic table of the elements. Construction of such charts was initiated in the early 20th century and is still ongoing.

Key takeaways

Periodic systems of small molecules belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Periodic systems of small molecules to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Periodic systems of small molecules from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Periodic systems of molecules are charts of molecules similar to the periodic table of the elements. Construction of such charts was initiated in the early 20th century and is still ongoing. It is commonly believed that the periodic law, represented by the periodic chart, is echoed in the behavior of molecules, at least small molecules. For instance, if one replaces any one of the atoms in a triatomic molecule with a rare gas atom, there will be a drastic change in the molecule’s properties. Several goals could be accomplished by constructing an explicit representation of this periodic law as manifested in molecules: (1) a classification scheme for the vast number of molecules that exist, starting with small ones having just a few atoms, for use as a teaching aid and tool for archiving data, (2) forecasting data for molecular properties based on the classification scheme, and (3) a sort of unity with the periodic chart and the periodic system of fundamental particles.

Physical periodic systems of molecules Periodic systems (or charts or tables) of molecules are the subjects of two reviews. The systems of diatomic molecules include those of (1) H. D. W. Clark, and (2) F.-A. Kong, which somewhat resemble the atomic chart. The system of R. Hefferlin et al. was developed from (3) a three-dimensional to (4) a four-dimensional system Kronecker product of the element chart with itself.

A totally different kind of periodic system is (5) that of G. V. Zhuvikin, which is based on group dynamics. In all but the first of these cases, other researchers provided invaluable contributions and some of them are co-authors. The architectures of these systems have been adjusted by Kong and Hefferlin to include ionized species, and expanded by Kong, Hefferlin, and Zhuvikin and Hefferlin to the space of triatomic molecules. These architectures are mathematically related to the chart of the elements. They were first called “physical” periodic systems.

Chemical periodic systems of molecules Other investigators have focused on building structures that address specific kinds of molecules such as alkanes (Morozov); benzenoids (Dias); functional groups containing fluorine, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur (Haas); or a combination of core charge, number of shells, redox potentials, and acid-base tendencies (Gorski). These structures are not restricted to molecules with a given number of atoms and they bear little resemblance to the element chart; they are called “chemical” systems. Chemical systems do not start with the element chart, but instead start with, for example, formula enumerations (Dias), Grimm's hydride displacement law (Haas), reduced potential curves (Jenz), a set of molecular descriptors (Gorski), and similar strategies.

Hyperperiodicity E. V. Babaev has erected a hyperperiodic system which in principle includes all of the systems described above except those of Dias, Gorski, and Jenz.

Bases of the element chart and periodic systems of molecules The periodic chart of the elements, like a small stool, is supported by three legs: (a) the Bohr–Sommerfeld “solar system” atomic model (with electron spin and the Madelung principle), which provides the magic-number elements that end each row of the table and gives the number of elements in each row, (b) solutions to the Schrödinger equation, which provide the same information, and (c) data provided by experiment, by the solar system model, and by solutions to the Schroedinger equation. The Bohr–Sommerfeld model should not be ignored: it gave explanations for the wealth of spectroscopic data that were already in existence before the advent of wave mechanics. Each of the molecular systems listed above, and those not cited, is also supported by three legs: (a) physical and chemical data arranged in graphical or tabular patterns (which, for physical periodic systems at least, echo the appearance of the element chart), (b) group dynamic, valence-bond, molecular-orbital, and other fundamental theories, and (c) summing of atomic period and group numbers (Kong), the Kronecker product and exploitation of higher dimensions (Hefferlin), formula enumerations (Dias), the hydrogen-displacement principle (Haas), reduced potential curves (Jenz), and similar strategies. A chronological list of the contributions to this field contains almost thirty entries dated 1862, 1907, 1929, 1935, and 1936; then, after a pause, a higher level of activity beginning with the 100th anniversary of Mendeleev’s publication of his element chart, 1969. Many publications on periodic systems of molecules include some predictions of molecular properties, but starting at the turn of the Century there have been serious attempts to use periodic systems for the prediction of progressively more precise data for various numbers of molecules. Among these attempts are those of Kong, and Hefferlin

A collapsed-coordinate system for triatomic molecules The collapsed-coordinate system has three independent variables instead of the six demanded by the Kronecker-product system. The reduction of independent variables makes use of three properties of gas-phase, ground-state, triatomic molecules. (1) In general, whatever the total number of constituent atomic valence electrons, data for isoelectronic molecules tend to be more similar than for adjacent molecules that have more or fewer valence electrons; for triatomic molecules, the electron count is the sum of the atomic group numbers (the sum of the column numbers 1 to 8 in the p-block of the periodic chart of the elements, C1+C2+C3). (2) Linear/bent triatomic molecules appear to be slightly more stable, other parameters being equal, if carbon is the central atom. (3) Most physical properties of diatomic molecules (especially spectroscopic constants) are closely monotonic with respect to the product of the two atomic period (or row) numbers, R1 and R2; for triatomic molecules, the monotonicity is close with respect to R1R2+R2R3 (which reduces to R1R2 for diatomic molecules). Therefore, the coordinates x, y, and z of the collapsed-coordinate system are C1+C2+C3, C2, and R1R2+R2R3. Multiple-regression predictions of four property values for molecules with tabulated data agree very well with the tabulated data (the error measures of the predictions include the tabulated data in all but a few cases).

See also History of the periodic table Periodic table

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Periodic systems of small molecules

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Periodic systems of small molecules claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Periodic systems of small molecules before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Periodic systems of small molecules ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Periodic systems of small molecules

In research: Periodic systems of small molecules appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Periodic systems of small molecules in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Periodic systems of small molecules is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Chemical compounds, Infographics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Periodic systems of small molecules outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Periodic systems of small molecules in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Periodic systems of small molecules means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Periodic systems of small molecules out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Periodic systems of small molecules in simple terms?

Periodic systems of molecules are charts of molecules similar to the periodic table of the elements. Construction of such charts was initiated in the early 20th century and is still ongoing.

Why does Periodic systems of small molecules matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Periodic systems of small molecules?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Periodic systems of small molecules.