a: organic molecules ~
b: very high house of cards

What:

"Urea is a comparatively simple substance. Its molecule consists of only eight atoms which hold together quite firmly. But as a rule, the more atoms that go to make up a molecule, the weaker is the force that keeps them in position. An analogy is provided by a house of cards. The first and second stories of such a house are fairly firm, but as each successive card is added, the whole structure becomes a little more precarious until eventually the addition of one card or a slight jolt of the table is enough to bring the whole flimsy structure down. If one builds very carefully and takes precautions to prevent the table from being in the least shaken, one may succeed in constructing a high house. Some organic molecules are like a very high house of cards, but the strange thing is that they are like one built on a table that is persistently and violently jolted. Such molecules are shaken by the chemical influence of, and mechanical collisions with, the active neighbouring molecules."


Useful?
Writer: Reginald O. Kapp
LCC:
Where:
Date: Mar 10 2015 5:27 PM


No critique for this page.
Feel free to be the first


Please review the linked page for context.
If you can think of something better than this,
please add it to the database

Name:
required
Contact:
(email or url) optional
Topic:
Comment:

This is an anti-spam device. Are you Human?

If so, please click the circle next to 'Yes' to submit your comment