In chemistry , the whole number rule states that the masses of the isotopes are whole number multiples of the mass of the hydrogen atom. The rule is a modified version of Prout's hypothesis proposed in 1815, to the effect that atomic weights are multiples of the weight of the hydrogen atom. It is also known as the Aston whole number rule after Francis W. Aston who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1922 "for his discovery, by means of his mass spectrograph , of isotopes, in a large number of non-radioactive elements, and for his enunciation of the whole-number rule."
39-442: The law of definite proportions was formulated by Joseph Proust around 1800 and states that all samples of a chemical compound will have the same elemental composition by mass. The atomic theory of John Dalton expanded this concept and explained matter as consisting of discrete atoms with one kind of atom for each element combined in fixed proportions to form compounds. In 1815, William Prout reported on his observation that
78-424: A chemical compound ; the concept is most readily understood when considering pure chemical substances . It follows from their being composed of fixed proportions of two or more types of atoms that chemical compounds can be converted, via chemical reaction , into compounds or substances each having fewer atoms. A chemical formula is a way of expressing information about the proportions of atoms that constitute
117-419: A solid-state reaction , or the electron transfer reaction of reactive metals with reactive non-metals, such as halogen gases. Ionic compounds typically have high melting and boiling points , and are hard and brittle . As solids they are almost always electrically insulating , but when melted or dissolved they become highly conductive , because the ions are mobilized. An intermetallic compound
156-412: A continuous three-dimensional network, usually in a crystalline structure . Ionic compounds containing basic ions hydroxide (OH ) or oxide (O ) are classified as bases. Ionic compounds without these ions are also known as salts and can be formed by acid–base reactions . Ionic compounds can also be produced from their constituent ions by evaporation of their solvent , precipitation , freezing ,
195-575: A different substance by a chemical reaction , which may involve interactions with other substances. In this process, bonds between atoms may be broken and/or new bonds formed. There are four major types of compounds, distinguished by how the constituent atoms are bonded together. Molecular compounds are held together by covalent bonds ; ionic compounds are held together by ionic bonds ; intermetallic compounds are held together by metallic bonds ; coordination complexes are held together by coordinate covalent bonds . Non-stoichiometric compounds form
234-527: A disputed marginal case. A chemical formula specifies the number of atoms of each element in a compound molecule, using the standard chemical symbols with numerical subscripts . Many chemical compounds have a unique CAS number identifier assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service . Globally, more than 350,000 chemical compounds (including mixtures of chemicals) have been registered for production and use. The term "compound"—with
273-444: A meaning similar to the modern—has been used at least since 1661 when Robert Boyle's The Sceptical Chymist was published. In this book, Boyle variously used the terms "compound", "compounded body", "perfectly mixt body", and "concrete". "Perfectly mixt bodies" included for example gold, lead, mercury, and wine. While the distinction between compound and mixture is not so clear, the distinction between element and compound
312-566: A particular chemical compound, using chemical symbols for the chemical elements, and subscripts to indicate the number of atoms involved. For example, water is composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom: the chemical formula is H 2 O. In the case of non-stoichiometric compounds , the proportions may be reproducible with regard to their preparation, and give fixed proportions of their component elements, but proportions that are not integral [e.g., for palladium hydride , PdH x (0.02 < x < 0.58)]. Chemical compounds have
351-496: A positively charged cation . The nonmetal will gain the electrons from the metal, making the nonmetal a negatively charged anion . As outlined, ionic bonds occur between an electron donor, usually a metal, and an electron acceptor, which tends to be a nonmetal. Hydrogen bonding occurs when a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom forms an electrostatic connection with another electronegative atom through interacting dipoles or charges. A compound can be converted to
390-447: A solid state dependent on how low the temperature of the environment is. A covalent bond , also known as a molecular bond, involves the sharing of electrons between two atoms. Primarily, this type of bond occurs between elements that fall close to each other on the periodic table of elements , yet it is observed between some metals and nonmetals. This is due to the mechanism of this type of bond. Elements that fall close to each other on
429-469: A unique and defined chemical structure held together in a defined spatial arrangement by chemical bonds . Chemical compounds can be molecular compounds held together by covalent bonds , salts held together by ionic bonds , intermetallic compounds held together by metallic bonds , or the subset of chemical complexes that are held together by coordinate covalent bonds . Pure chemical elements are generally not considered chemical compounds, failing
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#1732797203423468-445: Is a central theme. Quicksilver ... with Aqua fortis will be brought into a ... white Powder ... with Sulphur it will compose a blood-red and volatile Cinaber. And yet out of all these exotick Compounds, we may recover the very same running Mercury. Boyle used the concept of "corpuscles"—or "atomes", as he also called them—to explain how a limited number of elements could combine into a vast number of compounds: If we assigne to
507-403: Is a type of metallic alloy that forms an ordered solid-state compound between two or more metallic elements. Intermetallics are generally hard and brittle, with good high-temperature mechanical properties. They can be classified as stoichiometric or nonstoichiometric intermetallic compounds. A coordination complex consists of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called
546-493: Is neutral overall, but consists of positively charged ions called cations and negatively charged ions called anions . These can be simple ions such as the sodium (Na ) and chloride (Cl ) in sodium chloride , or polyatomic species such as the ammonium ( NH 4 ) and carbonate ( CO 3 ) ions in ammonium carbonate . Individual ions within an ionic compound usually have multiple nearest neighbours, so are not considered to be part of molecules, but instead part of
585-419: Is uniform (mono-disperse) and their stoichiometry is constant. Chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities ) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds . A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element is therefore not a compound. A compound can be transformed into
624-406: The atomic theory that John Dalton promoted beginning in 1805, which explained matter as consisting of discrete atoms , that there was one type of atom for each element, and that the compounds were made of combinations of different types of atoms in fixed proportions. A related early idea was Prout's hypothesis , formulated by English chemist William Prout , who proposed that the hydrogen atom
663-409: The atomic weights of the elements were whole multiples of the atomic weight of hydrogen . He then hypothesized that the hydrogen atom was the fundamental object and that the other elements were a combination of different numbers of hydrogen atoms. In 1920, Francis W. Aston demonstrated through the use of a mass spectrometer that apparent deviations from Prout's hypothesis are predominantly due to
702-452: The coordination centre , and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ligands or complexing agents. Many metal-containing compounds, especially those of transition metals , are coordination complexes. A coordination complex whose centre is a metal atom is called a metal complex of d block element. Compounds are held together through a variety of different types of bonding and forces. The differences in
741-449: The oxygen molecule (O 2 ); or it may be heteronuclear , a chemical compound composed of more than one element, as with water (two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom; H 2 O). A molecule is the smallest unit of a substance that still carries all the physical and chemical properties of that substance. An ionic compound is a chemical compound composed of ions held together by electrostatic forces termed ionic bonding . The compound
780-418: The 1920s, it was thought that the atomic nucleus was made of protons and electrons, which would account for the disparity between the atomic number of an atom and its atomic mass . In 1932, James Chadwick discovered an uncharged particle of approximately the mass as the proton, which he called the neutron . The fact that the atomic nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons was rapidly accepted and Chadwick
819-907: The Corpuscles, whereof each Element consists, a peculiar size and shape ... such ... Corpuscles may be mingled in such various Proportions, and ... connected so many ... wayes, that an almost incredible number of ... Concretes may be compos’d of them. In his Logick , published in 1724, the English minister and logician Isaac Watts gave an early definition of chemical element, and contrasted element with chemical compound in clear, modern terms. Among Substances, some are called Simple, some are Compound ... Simple Substances ... are usually called Elements, of which all other Bodies are compounded: Elements are such Substances as cannot be resolved, or reduced, into two or more Substances of different Kinds. ... Followers of Aristotle made Fire, Air, Earth and Water to be
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#1732797203423858-463: The Earth. Other compounds regarded as chemically identical may have varying amounts of heavy or light isotopes of the constituent elements, which changes the ratio of elements by mass slightly. A molecule is an electrically neutral group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds. A molecule may be homonuclear , that is, it consists of atoms of one chemical element, as with two atoms in
897-534: The Truth ;; tho' they are not all agreed ... Compound Substances are made up of two or more simple Substances ... So a Needle is simple Body, being made only of Steel; but a Sword or a Knife is a compound because its ... Handle is made of Materials different from the Blade. Any substance consisting of two or more different types of atoms ( chemical elements ) in a fixed stoichiometric proportion can be termed
936-524: The concept of a chemical compound had not yet been fully developed, the law was novel. In fact, when first proposed, it was a controversial statement and was opposed by other chemists, most notably Proust's fellow Frenchman Claude Louis Berthollet , who argued that the elements could combine in any proportion. The existence of this debate demonstrates that, at the time, the distinction between pure chemical compounds and mixtures had not yet been fully developed. The law of definite proportions contributed to
975-452: The error explained by the mass deficit caused by nuclear binding energy . Law of definite proportions In chemistry , the law of definite proportions , sometimes called Proust's law or the law of constant composition , states that a given chemical compound always contains its component elements in a fixed ratio (by mass) and does not depend on its source or method of preparation. For example, oxygen makes up about / 9 of
1014-425: The existence of isotopes . For example, Aston discovered that neon has two isotopes with masses very close to 20 and 22 as per the whole number rule, and proposed that the non-integer value 20.2 for the atomic weight of neon is due to the fact that natural neon is a mixture of about 90% neon-20 and 10% neon-22). A secondary cause of deviations is the binding energy or mass defect of the individual isotopes. During
1053-400: The fixed ratios. Many solid chemical substances—for example many silicate minerals —are chemical substances, but do not have simple formulae reflecting chemically bonding of elements to one another in fixed ratios; even so, these crystalline substances are often called " non-stoichiometric compounds ". It may be argued that they are related to, rather than being chemical compounds, insofar as
1092-513: The four Elements, of which all earthly Things were compounded; and they suppos'd the Heavens to be a Quintessence, or fifth sort of Body, distinct from all these : But, since experimental Philosophy ... have been better understood, this Doctrine has been abundantly refuted. The Chymists make Spirit, Salt, Sulphur, Water and Earth to be their five Elements, because they can reduce all terrestrial Things to these five : This seems to come nearer
1131-499: The law of multiple proportion. An example is the iron oxide wüstite , which can contain between 0.83 and 0.95 iron atoms for every oxygen atom, and thus contain anywhere between 23% and 25% oxygen by mass. The ideal formula is FeO, but it is about Fe 0.95 O due to crystallographic vacancies. In general, Proust's measurements were not precise enough to detect such variations. In addition, the isotopic composition of an element can vary depending on its source, hence its contribution to
1170-411: The mass of any sample of pure water , while hydrogen makes up the remaining / 9 of the mass: the mass of two elements in a compound are always in the same ratio. Along with the law of multiple proportions , the law of definite proportions forms the basis of stoichiometry . The law of definite proportion was given by Joseph Proust in 1797. I shall conclude by deducing from these experiments
1209-596: The mass of even a pure stoichiometric compound may vary. This variation is used in radiometric dating since astronomical , atmospheric , oceanic , crustal and deep Earth processes may concentrate some environmental isotopes preferentially. With the exception of hydrogen and its isotopes, the effect is usually small, but is measurable with modern-day instrumentation. Many natural polymers vary in composition (for instance DNA , proteins , carbohydrates ) even when "pure". Polymers are generally not considered "pure chemical compounds" except when their molecular weight
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1248-536: The periodic table tend to have similar electronegativities , which means they have a similar affinity for electrons. Since neither element has a stronger affinity to donate or gain electrons, it causes the elements to share electrons so both elements have a more stable octet . Ionic bonding occurs when valence electrons are completely transferred between elements. Opposite to covalent bonding, this chemical bond creates two oppositely charged ions. The metals in ionic bonding usually lose their valence electrons, becoming
1287-402: The principle I have established at the commencement of this memoir, viz. that iron like many other metals is subject to the law of nature which presides at every true combination, that is to say, that it unites with two constant proportions of oxygen. In this respect it does not differ from tin, mercury, and lead, and, in a word, almost every known combustible. At the end of the 18th century, when
1326-494: The two or more atom requirement, though they often consist of molecules composed of multiple atoms (such as in the diatomic molecule H 2 , or the polyatomic molecule S 8 , etc.). Many chemical compounds have a unique numerical identifier assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS): its CAS number . There is varying and sometimes inconsistent nomenclature differentiating substances, which include truly non-stoichiometric examples, from chemical compounds, which require
1365-455: The types of bonds in compounds differ based on the types of elements present in the compound. London dispersion forces are the weakest force of all intermolecular forces . They are temporary attractive forces that form when the electrons in two adjacent atoms are positioned so that they create a temporary dipole . Additionally, London dispersion forces are responsible for condensing non polar substances to liquids, and to further freeze to
1404-421: The variability in their compositions is often due to either the presence of foreign elements trapped within the crystal structure of an otherwise known true chemical compound , or due to perturbations in structure relative to the known compound that arise because of an excess of deficit of the constituent elements at places in its structure; such non-stoichiometric substances form most of the crust and mantle of
1443-545: Was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935 for his discovery. The modern form of the whole number rule is that the atomic mass of a given elemental isotope is approximately the mass number (number of protons plus neutrons) times an atomic mass unit (approximate mass of a proton, neutron, or hydrogen-1 atom). This rule predicts the atomic mass of nuclides and isotopes with an error of at most 1%, with most of
1482-536: Was incompatible with the hypothesis. Since the 1920s this discrepancy has been explained by the presence of isotopes; the atomic mass of any isotope is very close to satisfying the whole number rule, with the mass defect caused by differing binding energies being significantly smaller. Although very useful in the foundation of modern chemistry, the law of definite proportions is not universally true. There exist non-stoichiometric compounds whose elemental composition can vary from sample to sample. Such compounds follow
1521-403: Was the fundamental atomic unit. From this hypothesis was derived the whole number rule , which was the rule of thumb that atomic masses were whole number multiples of the mass of hydrogen. This was later rejected in the 1820s and 30s following more refined measurements of atomic mass, notably by Jöns Jacob Berzelius , which revealed in particular that the atomic mass of chlorine was 35.45, which
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