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Karina G's picture

Week 7

"Life is a particular assembly of atoms."  It was about time to finally know the difference between an elephant, a human and a desk :)

The difference is the assembly of atoms. However this raises more intriguing questions that we are just beginning to explore. Since there are over 100 atoms there is an infinite number of possible assemblies.  This could mean that there are things/ species or features that we haven't seen and that can pop up all of the sudden. How do these combinations happen? I think that is the question we are beginning to respond since we are learning some of the properties of these elements.

So far we can say that some atoms have the need to stabilize and other atoms are willing to help. :) That is how bonds happen. But we also cannot forget the charge of these atoms. How does the net charge of atoms affect life?

Our discussion on polar bonds was not clear to me. What I understood is that oxygen doesn't take away the electron from Hydrogen unlike Cl from Na. The electron becomes more associated with the oxygen. What does this mean and why does it happen?

Are there any instances where the electron is shared?

So many questions.....

 

 

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