Compound Characterization

There probably has never been a time when an attempt was not made to characterize the things about us. This dates back, at least, to the time of Neanderthal man when there existed a need to know if the object they were carrying should be placed on the spit or in the fire. This type of characterization revolved around the senses of sight, sound, and smell, and could also include weight. As time evolved, the degree of sophistication increased but it was not until the discovery of atomic structure that significant advances were made in the methodologies used to characterize the compounds. With the tools of modern chemistry it has become possible to measure the distances between atoms and their positions in a crystal lattice. Not only is it possible to determine the positions of the atoms within a crystal but also the charge or valence state of each. The degree of solvation of a solid substance can be measured and the location of the solvent can be determined, that is, whether the solvent is just on the surface or in the interior of the crystal. Instruments are available which can measure the size of particles only several atoms in diameter. Also, the energy holding the molecules together in a crystal can be determined as well as the most stable configuration of the molecules in the crystal. These are just a few of the types of information which can be obtained on compounds which exist in the solid state.