How do quantum numbers help scientists understnad

вЂњThis mistake originates from the inferiority of the method for determining the average distance between atoms in different molecules, explains Mr. As a result, mistakes make their way into the analysis of chemical systems, and many interactions are neglected as insignificant, which makes researchersвЂ™ work less efficient.

Yet, due to the specifics of the method for determining van der Waals radii, their values are usually undersized by 10-15%.

If the distance between two atoms is less than the sum of these radii, then they are located close enough for their interaction to be strong enough to be considered significant.вЂќ An atom Chernyshov, but how do we find the specific value? Scientist Linus Pauling came up with the following approach: letвЂ™s take molecular crystals for which we have a great amount of experimental data in regard to their geometry, look at the distance between atoms in various molecules, find their average values and thus get some assumed size of an atom - the van der Waals radius. вЂњAt some point, it was decided that interaction between molecules is significant in the instances when the distance between atoms is comparatively small, explains Mr. This concept implies that if atoms get closer to each other than a specific distance, then their interaction is significant otherwise, it can be neglected. Ivan ChernyshovД¬hemists found a way out: in order to identify the extent to which intermolecular interactions affect the properties of a chemical system, they started using the principle of the effective size of atoms, commonly known as van der Waals radii. The smallest changes in the manner of molecules' interaction can make an invention very effective or completely infeasible. This knowledge makes it possible to understand how molecules of drugs affect cells, or how new materials for organic electronics work. Then again, today it is very important for scientists to know the energy of intermolecular interactions. If we try to increase the computationsвЂ™ precision, the time they require grows as well - to the point that the solutions call for a great amount of time of supercomputers' operation.вЂќ The approximation methods work very well when we are describing the behavior of individual molecules, but in case of intermolecular interactions, the inaccuracy is too high. Quantum chemistry is the field of quantum mechanics that is dedicated to the approximate solution of this equation for chemical systems.

It is impossible to solve it with high accuracy. вЂњWe have the SchrГ¶dinger equation that can be used to describe any quantum system, says Ivan Chernyshov, researcher at ITMOвЂ™s ChemBio cluster. The problem is that modern quantum chemistry methods arenвЂ™t enough to completely and precisely describe the characteristics of intermolecular interactions. The process of brewing tea, digesting our meals or the rigidity of a new type of plastic - this all depends on the manner of the interaction of specific molecules. From the chemistry standpoint, we all live in the world of perpetual intermolecular interactions.

How do quantum numbers help scientists understnad