Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 14, 2025
10:37
Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
9.2K
The momentum of models
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USAand Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|November 7, 2021
Summary
Chemical physics approaches offer new insights into solid state physics models. This cross-disciplinary perspective benefits scientific advancement and encourages theorists to explore this promising field.
Area of Science:
- Theoretical Physics
- Chemical Physics
- Solid State Physics
Background:
- Solid state physics has historically been siloed from chemical physics theory.
- This separation represents a missed opportunity for scientific advancement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the benefits of applying chemical physics thinking to solid state physics.
- To encourage early-career theorists to engage with solid state physics.
- To demonstrate the complementary nature of chemical and condensed matter physics mindsets.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis and synthesis of ideas from chemical physics and solid state physics.
- Illustration through personal research contributions.
Main Results:
- Cross-fertilization of ideas between chemical physics and solid state physics is beneficial.
- Significant opportunities exist for applying chemical physics methodologies to solid state physics problems.
- Differences in traditions and standards between the fields present challenges but also opportunities.
Conclusions:
- A chemical physics mindset is complementary to the condensed matter physics mindset.
- Collaboration between these fields can drive significant scientific progress.
- Encouraging theorists with a chemical physics background to enter solid state physics is recommended.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Molecular Kinetic Energy
5.3K
The word "gas" comes from the Flemish word meaning "chaos," first used to describe vapors by the chemist J. B. van Helmont. Consider a container filled with gas, with a continuous and random motion of molecules. During collisions, the velocity component parallel to the wall is unchanged, and the component perpendicular to the wall reverses direction but does not change in magnitude. If the molecule’s velocity changes in the x-direction, then its momentum is changed.
5.3K
01:27Distribution of Molecular Speeds
4.2K
The motion of molecules in a gas is random in magnitude and direction for individual molecules, but a gas of many molecules has a predictable distribution of molecular speeds. This predictable distribution of molecular speeds is known as the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. The distribution of molecular speeds in liquids is comparable to that of gases but not identical and can help to understand the phenomenon of the boiling and vapor pressure of a liquid. Consider that a molecule requires a...
4.2K
01:20Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a Single Particle
939
Linear momentum is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the motion of an object. It is a vector quantity, having a magnitude equal to the product of its mass and its velocity, and direction along the object's velocity. On the other hand, linear impulse, also known as momentum impulse, is a concept in physics related to the change in the linear momentum of an object. Impulse is a vector quantity defined as the product of force and the time over which the force is applied.
Delving...
Delving...
939
01:28Conservation of Linear Momentum for a System of Particles
348
In the dynamic realm of billiards, a fascinating interplay of forces governs the motion of cue balls and stationary balls. When the cue ball collides with a stationary ball, linear momentum is exchanged. The cue ball imparts a fraction of its linear momentum to the stationary ball, causing the cue ball to decelerate while initiating the motion of the stationary ball.
The impulsive force at play during this interaction is of extremely short duration, rendering its impulse negligible. When...
The impulsive force at play during this interaction is of extremely short duration, rendering its impulse negligible. When...
348
01:21Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a System of Particles
381
In the context of a system of particles moving relative to an inertial frame of reference, the equation of motion is a crucial tool for understanding the dynamics of the system. This equation, which accounts for external forces acting on each particle, plays a fundamental role in describing the system's behavior.
Notably, internal forces between particles, occurring in equal and opposite collinear pairs, cancel out and are not part of the equation of motion. This exclusion simplifies the...
Notably, internal forces between particles, occurring in equal and opposite collinear pairs, cancel out and are not part of the equation of motion. This exclusion simplifies the...
381
03:07Kinetic Molecular Theory: Molecular Velocities, Temperature, and Kinetic Energy
28.5K
The kinetic molecular theory qualitatively explains the behaviors described by the various gas laws. The postulates of this theory may be applied in a more quantitative fashion to derive these individual laws.
28.5K