Euler (1707–1783). This branch of mathematics is focused on the properties of
geometrical objects, which are preserved under continuous deformations, such
as stretching, bending or twisting. Chemical constitution comprehended as a mode
of interlinking between atoms can serve as one of the best models for application of
such an abstract mathematics. The topological analysis of chemical formulas is
known in science as the graph theory.
Constitutional formulas are “plane-like”, and, before all, conceptional: only the
valence of elements, not the spatial structure is recognizable from them. The
question about the reality of molecules as physical objects depends on the possibilities of experimentations. As Dalton has, by his transduction method with
quantitative experiments, finally accepted atoms, the physicality of molecules as
spatial constructs will in the same way emerge by using transduction.
Joseph Achille LeBel (1847–1930) was one of the closest collaborators of
Louis Pasteur (1822–1895). Both were interested in the chemistry of salts of
tartaric acids. Pasteur and LeBel were isolated ammonium-sodium tartarate in the
form of the mixture of crystals (represented on the following figure), which are
identical by shape, but which are related to each other similarly as left and right
hand [1].
As there is no spatial re-orientation by which it is possible to overlap left and
right hand, there is no way to overlap these left and right crystals by their reorientation in the space. Because the LeBel crystals have shown the same geometrical
property as hands, they are called to be chiral, i.e. hand-like (Greek, v, e, i, q,
hand). Perhaps, it is not necessary to mention that geometrical solids which can be
overlapped with their mirror image are not chiral, for instance the ball or the cube.
Chirality of crystals of tartarate has two possible explanations: either the
molecules are packed in the crystal lattice in two mirroring ways, or the molecules
are intrinsically chiral. In the second case, if molecules are intrinsically chiral, then
Left-hand, and right-hand
forms of
ammonium-sodium
tartarate (The figure is
downloaded from the
public web site)
104
11 Models and Reality
geometrical objects, which are preserved under continuous deformations, such
as stretching, bending or twisting. Chemical constitution comprehended as a mode
of interlinking between atoms can serve as one of the best models for application of
such an abstract mathematics. The topological analysis of chemical formulas is
known in science as the graph theory.
Constitutional formulas are “plane-like”, and, before all, conceptional: only the
valence of elements, not the spatial structure is recognizable from them. The
question about the reality of molecules as physical objects depends on the possibilities of experimentations. As Dalton has, by his transduction method with
quantitative experiments, finally accepted atoms, the physicality of molecules as
spatial constructs will in the same way emerge by using transduction.
Joseph Achille LeBel (1847–1930) was one of the closest collaborators of
Louis Pasteur (1822–1895). Both were interested in the chemistry of salts of
tartaric acids. Pasteur and LeBel were isolated ammonium-sodium tartarate in the
form of the mixture of crystals (represented on the following figure), which are
identical by shape, but which are related to each other similarly as left and right
hand [1].
As there is no spatial re-orientation by which it is possible to overlap left and
right hand, there is no way to overlap these left and right crystals by their reorientation in the space. Because the LeBel crystals have shown the same geometrical
property as hands, they are called to be chiral, i.e. hand-like (Greek, v, e, i, q,
hand). Perhaps, it is not necessary to mention that geometrical solids which can be
overlapped with their mirror image are not chiral, for instance the ball or the cube.
Chirality of crystals of tartarate has two possible explanations: either the
molecules are packed in the crystal lattice in two mirroring ways, or the molecules
are intrinsically chiral. In the second case, if molecules are intrinsically chiral, then
Left-hand, and right-hand
forms of
ammonium-sodium
tartarate (The figure is
downloaded from the
public web site)
104
11 Models and Reality