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Module Overview

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the requirements for optical transparency in terms of scattering events 
2. Recognize that neither crystallinity nor glassy microstructure are requirements for optical transparency
3. Explain the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of photon energy and photon wavelength
4. Use the Bohr model of the atom to explain absorption and emission of energy accompanying transitions in electron energy levels
5. Identify the shortcomings of the Bohr model, specifically the need for four quantum numbers to fully describe the energy level of an electron
6. Determine the electron configuration of a neutral atom
7. Provide intuitive descriptions of each of the four quantum numbers
8. Apply the principle of octet stability to explain covalent, ionic and metallic (sea-of-electrons) bonding
9. Differentiate between the mechanism of formation of each of the primary bonds and provide examples of several properties that can be explained by each
10. Conclude that crystals form in ordered solids according to a decrease in energy
11. Demonstrate how the allowable energy states in an isolated atom separate into many closely spaced states in the formation of a solid leading to a band structure
12. Apply the band theory of solids to explain the classification of materials as metals, insulators, and semiconductors
13. Justify the optical transparency or opacity of a material in terms of its band structure and the energy of the incident photons
14. Explain the tetrahedral symmetry found in diamond, silicon or methane in terms of the sp3 hybridized bonding