Journal article

By: Gilbert N. Lewis

Date: 1916

Source: Lewis, Gilbert, N. "The Atom and the Molecule." Journal of the American Chemical Society 34, 1916, 763–785.

About the Author: Gilbert Newton Lewis (1875–1946) was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts. His early education was a bit informal, as he was home-schooled until the age of thirteen. While still in his teens, he took courses from the University of Nebraska and received a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. from Harvard. Lewis spent a long and distinguished career at the University of California, Berkeley.

Introduction

The nature of a chemical bond is of utmost importance in chemistry. The strength and character of the bonds that join one atom with another determines such fundamental chemical properties as reactivity, boiling and melting points, and color.

There are two main types...