The first link on atomic orbitals and electronic structures was good to review again after reading it in class….still that’s over my head in some ways and very dense reading.

The second link was a good supplement to our reading in class.   I thought the molecular structures  section was interesting and how the molecular structure varies with the type of intermolecular attractions.

And the third link just left me hungry for more information although I could appreciate its simplicity.  None of the links gave a good 10,000 foot overview of what we can learn from the atomic models, so I did some surfing online….so:

What we can learn from the atomic models:

Atomic Orbital Models are a highly simplified view of atoms, and allow us to examine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in common elements.

As a model, they help us to understand the structure and behavior of an atom.   I found a really cool site online that simply explains orbital models and has an interactive tool for building model atoms with really useful commentary that is dynamic based on what you are building.  (Check it out!)

The site was a good review of class and very helpful in its simplicity:  “In the atomic orbital model, the atom consists of a nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons. These electrons exist in atomic orbitals, which are a set of quantum states of the negatively charged electrons trapped in the electrical field generated by the positively charged nucleus. Classically, the orbits can be likened to the planets orbiting the sun. However, the atomic orbital model can only be described by quantum mechanics, in which case the electrons are more accurately described as standing waves surrounding the nucleus.”