Noob question on Chemistry Basics

[CAMDAWG]

All right. I thank all of you for offering your answers. I can see know that I only have the barest grasp on my own ignorance. And apparently Quantum Mechanics come into play? Well, I guess there are deeper forces afoot than mere electrons. I was really hoping that some Grand Unified Theory of Chemistry existed that would bring together all the bits and pieces of Chemistry together into one chunk.

I don't mind be laughed at here; I'm asking a painfully stupid question from the standpoint of pitiable ignorance. I'll bookmark this thread and use the helpful resources that you all have provided. Chemistry's kind of been a blind spot in my knowledge of science and getting to know it better would be great.

Thank you so much.

Essentially, it comes down to this (from the point of view of a physics student):

Nature is governed by 4 forces (can equate it to three, and some theorize fewer, but that gets very complicated very quickly. too complicated for you, me, and I'd wager anyone else on this forum): Electromagnetism, Weak nuclear, strong nuclear, and gravity. Chemistry in general is concerned only with electromagnetic interactions between electrons, nuclei, and upwards. The problem is that while we can model interactions of atoms to a reasonable standard using the rules of electrostatics and electrodynamics (sometimes classical and sometimes quantum electrodynamics, which is again, way beyond either of us), for systems of even a medium amount of electrons it becomes hideously complicated, and the mathematics involved is typically beyond any physicist, let alone a chemist (not to say chemists aren't clever people, just that they aren't required to know as much mathematics).

Also, when you work with things as small as atoms, the inherent uncertainty from quantum mechanics begins to have a great effect in how well you can predict things, so we'll likely never be able to develop a theory in which you can perfectly predict exactly what will happen in every chemical reaction.

 

[Severin]

Actualy the most intresting, possibly branch of chemistry is chemical kinetics and the actualy mechanisms behind the reactions.Yes theoretical you could do physics simulations etc but this is inevitably over-complicated.Plus in many cases two(or more) reactants can give multiple potential reactions.This is especialy true of Organic Chemistry where you almost always get a mixture of Organic Compounds.The lowest possible-practicaly usefull- level is that of the mechanisms underlying the reactions.So yeah you can potentialy go deep enough that it's all physics, but then if you aply the same principles to physics and you'l end up with just math, then physics then philosophy.The point is knowing the mehcanisms of the reactions is a chemist's job, that's what chemistry is all about.Unless of course you are trying to make new compounds or discover new ways to make a give compound,then you'll end up doing loads of physics.Beyond that point however (i.e research) chemistry is about the reactions not about all the hyperballilion factors acting on a give reaction.
To get more specific on your examples, the whole 8 electrons in the outer shell has some exceptions mind you.Now bonds may in fact be breaking all the time, because not all chemical bonds are equaly "strong" i.e stable.In the entire universe all systems tend to move towards lower energy states i.e more stable ones which can be an important factor in a reaction.Now the ways this whole movement to a lower energy state can happen are quite numerous(hence why there are multiple mechanism governing reactions).One way for example is for the bond in one of the reactants to break by absorbing energy in the form heat(or sometimes light) for the enviroment.Hence why many reactions happen "naturaly" (look up Gibb's function/energy).Once a bond is broken all sorts of things may happen-essentialy the electrons are redistributing themselves- until at the end you've got a lower energy systems.Most of the time anyways.

 

[Albino Boo]

All right. I thank all of you for offering your answers. I can see know that I only have the barest grasp on my own ignorance. And apparently Quantum Mechanics come into play? Well, I guess there are deeper forces afoot than mere electrons. I was really hoping that some Grand Unified Theory of Chemistry existed that would bring together all the bits and pieces of Chemistry together into one chunk.

I don't mind be laughed at here; I'm asking a painfully stupid question from the standpoint of pitiable ignorance. I'll bookmark this thread and use the helpful resources that you all have provided. Chemistry's kind of been a blind spot in my knowledge of science and getting to know it better would be great.

Thank you so much.

You haven't asked a stupid question, you have just tried to skip to the last page of the text book without reading in between. Most of the people here have been through years of teaching to get to the end point. First they teach you simple concepts of bonds, then they teach you the exceptions to the rules and then they tell you how those exceptions work. It gets more and more complicated as you look at things closer and closer. However the average result for any particular reaction is predicable and repeatable, the difficulty comes from explaining why it happens.

Quantum Mechanics comes into play because you are dealing with electrons. You run up hard against Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and the wave particle duality but in chemistry you are only ever dealing with electrons. Oh yeah, the shape of the P electron orbital either goes through the middle of the atomic nucleus or the electrons jump straight through it.