With the gas ionization experiments (Section 1.7) we know that atoms and molecules are made of nuclei and electrons that revolve around them. In this chapter we give representations of these microscopic objects and show how certain atoms or molecular fragments form bonds between them. From the description of the hydrogen atom, the lightest atom in Nature since it contains only one proton and one electron, we will develop a simple model for the bonds between atoms in molecules stable at 25°C. Without making complicated calculations we will be able to predict which bonds between atoms are possible a priori and which structures the molecules containing them have. Atoms are the parts of a Lego® set that can be assembled to make a large number of constructions, but not just any construction (three-dimensional objects with predefined geometries). In Chapter 7, we will develop a slightly more advanced model of the chemical bond. We will examine why some bonds are weaker than others, i.e. which bonds are more or less easily broken by heating…
