How many possible chemical compounds are there?

[exchemist]

Thank you for your responses. As layman I tend to oversimplify and I am sure these questions have been considered long before I asked them.

Such questions are always worth asking and I'm always delighted to get involved in real science, with anyone who expresses genuine interest.

The opportunities to do so on this forum are few and far between, these days - too many cranks, sadly.

 

[river]

Thank you for your responses. As layman I tend to oversimplify and I am sure these questions have been considered long before I asked them.

Scientists make New atomic structures , or atoms , all the time

Just look into the periodic table , some are man made

 

[Write4U]

Scientists make New atomic structures , or atoms , all the time

Just look into the periodic table , some are man made

I understand, but the question is if these elements can be used for chemical bonding. If they were, why have we not found more elements in nature. Clearly the potential exists for more elements, but that does not mean they are necessary in the evolution of the universe and may never have formed. If it were not for novae, gold would not exist. Perhaps in our observable universe there is no condition which leads to the formation of elements other than the elements we have observed.

Of course this does not rule out man-made compound chemicals using new elements, but that thought scares me a little.

 

[Ophiolite]

I don't begin to follow why you say the universe itself would have to be a compound. That would imply that every atom was bound chemically to every other atom in the universe, which is self-evidently absurd. It's perhaps worth keeping mind that chemistry only exists in those parts of the universe cool enough for chemical bonds to reman intact. In stars for example, there is no chemistry because it is too hot for atoms to bond together at all.

Compounds are common in the atmospheres of cooler stars and are to be found even in our sun. This has been known for a century.

 

[exchemist]

Compounds are common in the atmospheres of cooler stars and are to be found even in our sun. This has been known for a century.

Quite right, thanks for the correction. The atmosphere of a star can be cool enough.

 

[Ophiolite]

Quite right, thanks for the correction. The atmosphere of a star can be cool enough.

Well, I could argue that stars are all atmosphere.

 

[exchemist]

Well, I could argue that stars are all atmosphere.

Erm, it's not my field, but this would appear to suggest not: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_atmosphere

 

[Ophiolite]

I said I could argue that, I didn't say I was going to. (You know me well enough, that if I leave an "out" it's because I know I'll need it.)

But as a topic for another thread, I wonder just how complex reactions can get on a really cool star. You can probably see where I'm heading with that one.

 

[exchemist]

I said I could argue that, I didn't say I was going to. (You know me well enough, that if I leave an "out" it's because I know I'll need it.)

But as a topic for another thread, I wonder just how complex reactions can get on a really cool star. You can probably see where I'm heading with that one.

Will you start one or do you want me to?

I'll have to read it up as I am no astrochemist (if there is such a thing).

 

[exchemist]

I understand, but the question is if these elements can be used for chemical bonding. If they were, why have we not found more elements in nature. Clearly the potential exists for more elements, but that does not mean they are necessary in the evolution of the universe and may never have formed. If it were not for novae, gold would not exist. Perhaps in our observable universe there is no condition which leads to the formation of elements other than the elements we have observed.

Of course this does not rule out man-made compound chemicals using new elements, but that thought scares me a little.

No need to worry. As I said earlier, the reason we don't find more elements is that all the other possible ones (the transuranic ones) are too unstable to remain in existence long enough for any significant chemistry involving them to arise. The 92 or so that we observe in nature are the only ones we will ever find, aside from very short-lived transitional species during nuclear reactions.

 

[kilao]

It is said that the latest data is 2364985，whether you believe it or not, I believed ! Organic matter also belong to compounds, there are tens of thousands of species was found or synthesis every day. It's really difficult to statistics it