Chemical bonds involve systems in which there are attractions between opposite charges and repulsions between like charges. Atoms other than those in Group 8A can achieve a noble gas electron arrangement by gaining, losing or sharing electrons

If the noble gases do not normally chemically combine with other elements, what might they be industrially used for? What products would benefit by being prepared in or with noble gases? Which noble gases are most often used? Why? Write the answers to these questions with help from the BOC Gases site, at http://www.boc.com/gases/products/products.htm.

Each type of bonding, ionic and covalent, results in substances that have different physical properties.

The Case-in-Point, "Storing the Data: The Case of the Lone Electron", discusses the way in which iron(iii) oxide is used to store data. on floppy disks. Inside the computer are silicon-based chips that also store data and the technology to make them smaller and smaller gets better and better. Gordon Moore, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Intel Corporation, predicted in a 1965 paper that the number of transistors on a computer chip would double about every 18 months. Check the site http://www.intel.com/research/silicon/mooreslaw.htm and comment on the accuracy of this prediction. Check other sources to determine what the limitations are to stuffing even more transistors on to a computer chip.

Lewis structures are the chemist's shorthand for representing atoms with their valance electrons.

The University of Bristol has a "Molecule of the Month" site at http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/MOTM/motm.htm. The site contains dozens of molecules. Pick four of the molecules and look at their Lewis structures. What do they have in common? What are some of the differences? Why might these molecules have been chosen as molecules of the month - that is, what makes them special?

Bonds form because the energy of the collective atoms is lowered as a result. We can predict the type of bond that might form based on an energy-related measure known as electronegativity.

One of the most important concepts in all of chemistry is electronegativity, explained by Linus Pauling, one of the great scientists in all human history. Pauling won a Nobel Prize for his chemical work. But he was only one of four people to win two Nobel prizes (the scientist Marie Curie, the British chemist Frederick Sanger and the American physicist John Bardeen were the others). For what was Pauling awarded the other Nobel Prize? Why did he work in this area? What was the nature of this work? An excellent starting point is an on-line exhibit, at http://pauling.library.orst.edu/exhibit/

Chemical nomenclature deals with the rules for naming and assigning formulas to compounds and ions.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) makes recommendations for all manner of chemical nomenclature. Based on what we learned in this section of the text, it might seem a fairly easy task. Please look at the site http://www.chem.qmw.ac.uk/iupac/. Is there a need for a broader nomenclature system than we presented in the text? Why? What types of substances have their own set of rules? What is the messiest name you can find as you explore the individual categories?