I want to learn "Quantum chemistry" Can u suggest any kind of lectures That helps me to learn it Also it should provide me interst on chemistry Please suggest a way of learning ??
1 Answer
I would suggest starting with the Bohr Model of an atom and then looking at the Quantum model of an atom.
Explanation:
This is a massive area of study and many people would argue there are different (and possibly in their opinions, better) areas to start with. This would be my advice though - and remember what I have written is the ABSOLUTE basics! It gets vastly more complicated.
The Bohr model of an atom describes electrons as 'orbiting' an atoms nucleus (made of protons and neutrons). Each layer of orbit or 'shell' is a given energy. These energy levels are given by integer values (i.e. n = 1, n = 2, n = 3).
We can therefore Quantise (hence the name Quantum Chemistry) each electron and describe it as being in a given energy state.
The reason I next say to look at the quantum model of an atom is because it accounts for the fact that electrons are not just simply particles of a given size or mass but do in-fact behave like waves.
The model doesn't actually describe electrons as 'orbiting' a nucleus but describes electrons as being likely to be found in a given region surrounding the nucleus. This is given in a mathematical context as 'electron probability densities'. Each region is a given sub-shell. In the image below, the number before a letter denotes the energy level of the sub-shell and the letter the shape of the orbital. The darker the area, the more likely an electron is to be found there.
I don't want to go into more detail right now as the above is the absolute simple starting point for quantum chemistry. It gets vastly more complicated but teaching yourself IS possible with quantum science so long as your basic theory is okay.
A great starting part may be; Quantum Mechanics Introduction
Mathematics can be challenging. Youtube is a great place to start for some overview (I would recommend a gentle 'documentary' style to start with, not university lectures). Getting to grips with calculus and complex algebra would be useful as well.
It's great to learn though, and can truly change your perspective of well, life.
I highly recommend the book 'The Tao of Physics' by Fritjof Capra. The book actually explores the links between Quantum Physics and Eastern Mysticism but even if you are just interested in the Quantum side of things, it does a great job of explaining the essentials to you.
