| Abstract: | First the interplay of kinetic and potential energy via the uncertainty relation is described with the aid of a variational function for the ground state of the H atom. The H ion is used to illustrate the physical mechanism of the occurrence of the chemical bond. The formation of the chemical bond can be divided into three steps: 1. the quasi-classical (electrostatic) interaction of the unchanged electronic charges of the separate atoms; 2. the interference of the atomic orbitals, which (in the case of positive interference) leads to a displacement of charge into the bonding region and to a decrease in the kinetic energy; 3. deformation of the molecular orbitals to restore the correct balance of kinetic and potential energy. In simple models, it is often sufficient to consider just the second step. A two-electron bond is not fundamentally different from a one-electron bond. In larger molecules it is possible to distinguish between long-range and short-range interatomic contributions to the chemical bond. If the former are small, i. e. in molecules with non-polar bonds, a one-electron molecular orbital theory can be justified. Finally, the possibility of describing molecules by localized bonds is discussed. |
