Repeating same potency, was Online Schools ?

[John Harvey]

Hi, Tanya --
Actually, I should have ensured that I expressed my own basic chemistry correctly, typing the sulphate group as SO4 (not as SO3).
Let's start by being clear about what these molecules look like.
Water looks something like this:
H—O—H
(with an angle of around 120˚ between the bonds that join the H atoms to the O atom. This gives the molecule a negative "end", the O atom; and a positive "end", the H atoms).
Calcium sulphate looks something like this:
Ca—OOSOO
When joining chemically with other atoms or groups of atoms, an atom tends to like to complete its outer shell, even if the readiest means of doing so it to lend out all the electrons in it.
The calcium atom's outer shell consists of just two electrons, and it is ready to lend both to any atom or group that is willing borrow both of them.
The sulphate group is electrically dominated by electron-hungry oxygen atoms (four of them) and is very ready to borrow exactly two electrons, which its oxygen atoms chiefly share.
So, in joining to it chemically, the calcium atom lends its outer two electrons to the sulphate group.
This leaves the calcium atom itself with a charge equal to two protons (unbalanced by the now lost electrons), 2+. The sulphate group borrows those two electrons, taking on the additional negative charges that they come with, and so ends up with a charge of 2- (+ and - normally appearing as superscripts in this context, not easy to show in e-mail).
Each proton tends to attract one electron, and each electron tends to attract one proton -- with the result that, for instance, as a pure metal, calcium does not have a negative charge but is electrically neutral.
But there is a specific situation, relevant to homoeopathic preparation, in which the calcium atom, having lent two of its electrons to another group or groups, donates them on a semi-permanent basis upon splitting from that group: when the molecule goes into solution.
In solution, each calcium sulphate molecule breaks up into a Ca++ ion and an SO4-- ion.
What occurs then is this. The Ca++ ion loosely attaches itself (in a kind of bond often called hydrogen bonding) to the negatively charged end of the solvent molecule. The SO4-- ion loosely attaches itself to the positively charged end of the solvent molecule. (And that is why substances in solution don't significantly increase the starting volume of the solvent!)
That's what I meant when I said that, in splitting from it, the calcium atom can lose two electrons to the sulphate group. Sorry it wasn't briefer!
Actually, calcium sulphate is a particularly lively can of worms in this regard, having different properties depending upon the amount of water it's attached to in its solid state. But I'm going to ignore that and treat it as a standalone molecule in describing how it dissolves, ignoring any water already attached to it.
In the case of water as the particular solvent of calcium sulphate, it goes like this: the Ca++ attaches loosely to the O atom (which has a slight negative charge) of an H2O molecule, and the SO4-- group attaches itself loosely to the H atom (which has a slight positive charge) in each of two H2O molecules. Once a water molecule has either a Ca++ or an SO4-- ion attached to it, it will tend to attract the other kind also, because one such attachment will leave it electrically charged, making it attractive the other kind of ion.
The reason for which the O in water has a slight negative charge and the H in water has a slight positive one is the following. As with SO4 and Ca, the nature of the O atom is such that it is particularly hungry to complete its outer electron shell by borrowing two further electrons (which, if it does so with complete success, gives it a total charge of 2–). Actually, it's amongst the top few electon-hungry atoms we know. The nature of the H atom is such that it is fairly ready to ditch its incomplete outer electron shell by lending its only electron (which, if it is generous to a fault, gives it a total charge of 1+). The electrons that all three atoms (H, H, and O) share -- essentially the two electrons that the hydrogen atoms are ready to give up -- thus tend to spend an inordinate proportion of time attached to the O atom, giving it a negative charge and the H atoms a positive one.
I know that that's a lot of detail; it's much easier to get with accompanying pictures. But I hope that that adequately pictures it in words. Feel free to ask me to clarify anything here, though.
Cheers --
John

[Tanya Marquette]

My memory for chemistry is very dim, but I think I get it.
I realize my knowledge needs improving in this area.
thanks for putting this info together for me (and anyone else who needs it).
tanya
From: John Harvey
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 7:52 PM
To: minutus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Minutus] Repeating same potency, was Online Schools ?
Hi, Tanya --
Actually, I should have ensured that I expressed my own basic chemistry correctly, typing the sulphate group as SO4 (not as SO3).
Let's start by being clear about what these molecules look like.
Water looks something like this:
H—O—H
(with an angle of around 120˚ between the bonds that join the H atoms to the O atom. This gives the molecule a negative "end", the O atom; and a positive "end", the H atoms).
Calcium sulphate looks something like this:
Ca—OOSOO
When joining chemically with other atoms or groups of atoms, an atom tends to like to complete its outer shell, even if the readiest means of doing so it to lend out all the electrons in it.
The calcium atom's outer shell consists of just two electrons, and it is ready to lend both to any atom or group that is willing borrow both of them.
The sulphate group is electrically dominated by electron-hungry oxygen atoms (four of them) and is very ready to borrow exactly two electrons, which its oxygen atoms chiefly share.
So, in joining to it chemically, the calcium atom lends its outer two electrons to the sulphate group.
This leaves the calcium atom itself with a charge equal to two protons (unbalanced by the now lost electrons), 2+. The sulphate group borrows those two electrons, taking on the additional negative charges that they come with, and so ends up with a charge of 2- (+ and - normally appearing as superscripts in this context, not easy to show in e-mail).
Each proton tends to attract one electron, and each electron tends to attract one proton -- with the result that, for instance, as a pure metal, calcium does not have a negative charge but is electrically neutral.
But there is a specific situation, relevant to homoeopathic preparation, in which the calcium atom, having lent two of its electrons to another group or groups, donates them on a semi-permanent basis upon splitting from that group: when the molecule goes into solution.
In solution, each calcium sulphate molecule breaks up into a Ca++ ion and an SO4-- ion.
What occurs then is this. The Ca++ ion loosely attaches itself (in a kind of bond often called hydrogen bonding) to the negatively charged end of the solvent molecule. The SO4-- ion loosely attaches itself to the positively charged end of the solvent molecule. (And that is why substances in solution don't significantly increase the starting volume of the solvent!)
That's what I meant when I said that, in splitting from it, the calcium atom can lose two electrons to the sulphate group. Sorry it wasn't briefer!
Actually, calcium sulphate is a particularly lively can of worms in this regard, having different properties depending upon the amount of water it's attached to in its solid state. But I'm going to ignore that and treat it as a standalone molecule in describing how it dissolves, ignoring any water already attached to it.
In the case of water as the particular solvent of calcium sulphate, it goes like this: the Ca++ attaches loosely to the O atom (which has a slight negative charge) of an H2O molecule, and the SO4-- group attaches itself loosely to the H atom (which has a slight positive charge) in each of two H2O molecules. Once a water molecule has either a Ca++ or an SO4-- ion attached to it, it will tend to attract the other kind also, because one such attachment will leave it electrically charged, making it attractive the other kind of ion.
The reason for which the O in water has a slight negative charge and the H in water has a slight positive one is the following. As with SO4 and Ca, the nature of the O atom is such that it is particularly hungry to complete its outer electron shell by borrowing two further electrons (which, if it does so with complete success, gives it a total charge of 2–). Actually, it's amongst the top few electon-hungry atoms we know. The nature of the H atom is such that it is fairly ready to ditch its incomplete outer electron shell by lending its only electron (which, if it is generous to a fault, gives it a total charge of 1+). The electrons that all three atoms (H, H, and O) share -- essentially the two electrons that the hydrogen atoms are ready to give up -- thus tend to spend an inordinate proportion of time attached to the O atom, giving it a negative charge and the H atoms a positive one.
I know that that's a lot of detail; it's much easier to get with accompanying pictures. But I hope that that adequately pictures it in words. Feel free to ask me to clarify anything here, though.
Cheers --
John
--
"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up."
— John Andrew Holmes, Jr.

[John Harvey]

No worries at all, Tanya. It's interesting stuff, though without pictures it can be difficult to grasp.

Cheers!

John
--
"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up."
— John Andrew Holmes, Jr.

[Tanya Marquette]

I have a pretty good ability to picture things. Have done that for many
years in my various works.
t
From: John Harvey
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 10:39 PM
To: minutus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Minutus] Repeating same potency, was Online Schools ?

No worries at all, Tanya. It's interesting stuff, though without pictures it can be difficult to grasp.
Cheers!
John
--
"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up."
— John Andrew Holmes, Jr.

[John Harvey]

Goodo.

John
--
"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up."
— John Andrew Holmes, Jr.