Overview of the Chemistry of Functional Groups

Overview of the Chemistry of Functional GroupsFunctional groups in chemistry are the smallest of chemical substances, yet are one of the most important and powerful tools in the chemistry toolbox. They have many roles to play in the molecular mechanics of compounds and in understanding the chemical structure of many chemicals. Functional groups are also used in chemical bonding, to determine the properties of certain molecules.The basics of the chemistry involve a fundamental physical idea: each substance consists of three distinct types of atoms. In our everyday world, molecules consist of atoms arranged in specific patterns which are called bonds. This is not an attempt to explain the fundamental science behind atoms, rather it is an attempt to give a simple description of their appearance in the world of molecules.The atom is a normal length of chain of atoms held together by the force of gravity, with some light electrons on either side of the atom. Each atom in a molecule is a s ingle 'head' which can see the other atoms and the molecule's surroundings by way of a ray called the electromagnetic spectrum.Due to its 'cosmic' nature, the electron has no choice but to orbit around the nucleus of an atom and follow the strong magnetic field of the nucleus, resulting in a significant property called the orbital energy of the electron. The orbital energy is the quantity responsible for the ionic and non-ionic electrons' attraction to each other.In short, the orbitals are the dimensions of the atom, measured in the number of orbital pairs, or 'orbital pairs' (such as a zero and a one), between the orbitals. These orbitals occur in every kind of molecule, in order of increasing size, from tiny hydrogen atoms to large sulfur molecules.So, why are the orbital pairs the way they are? The answer is that the atoms are held together by the weak force of gravitation, which also holds the molecules together.This is just the first fundamental element of the chemistry of atom s. Functional groups have a number of other uses, such as describing the shapes of certain atoms, determining the type of atoms that may be found in a given molecule, and even determining the behaviour of atoms in aqueous solutions.