Absolutely Small

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What Holds Atoms Together: Diatomic Molecules

THE HYDROGEN MOLECULE is a diatomic molecule, that is, a molecule composed of only two atoms. Our investigation of hydrogen revealed how atoms can combine their atomic orbitals to form molecular orbitals. We need to extend our discussion of molecular orbitals to learn how more complicated molecules are built up from atoms. First, we will consider other diatomic molecules, for example, N₂, O₂, F₂, and HF. N₂, O₂, and F₂ (nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine) are called homonuclear diatomics because the two atoms are the same. HF (hydrogen fluoride) is a heteronuclear diatomic because the two atoms are different. Examination of homonuclear diatomics will let us go beyond the hydrogen molecule, which is ...