This shouldimply a = m = 5, b = 14, x = y = 2, andz = 6. The oxidation of copper from zero to plus two takes place in the conversion of copper to copper(I1) sulfate. Bismuth, cobalt, copper, iron, nickel, and zinc were subjected to a reaction with concentrated nitric acid in an experiment assigned at various times to those in general chemistry. Nitrogen dioxide was observed to evolve in these reactions, which were executed in open containers. The resulting nitrates, after the complete evolution of nitrogen dioxide, were evanorated and then converted hismuth(II1) oxide. cohalt(111) bxide, copper(I1) oxide, iron(II1) oxi'de,'nickel(111) oxide, and zinc oxide, respectively, by the thermal decomposition of eachnitrate. If nitric oxide was produced wheneach metal reacted with nitric acid, it was converted to nitrogen . dioxide. The above metals exclusive of copper should be subiected to a reaction with concentrated nitiic acid under thi same conditions for the copper-nitric acid reaction to determine if the mechanisms in these reactions are similar to that for the copper-nitric acid reaction. Wllllam D. Hill Jr. North Carolina Central Universiw Durham. NC 27707
The Heisenberg Uncerialnty Prlnclple: An Application to the Shell Structure ol Atoms and Orbit Descriptions of Molecules To the Editor:
Bartell has recently published an interesting article on various uses of the uncertainty principle in chemistry and ohvsics ( I ) . The nuroose of this letter is to call the reader's kcention to a furihe;novel use of the principle to deduce the 2n2 shell occupancy rule for atoms (2). This can, in turn, he used to develop a modified Bohr orbit theory which may be used to provide qualitative descriotions of the electronic structures of mole.cules (2-4). ~ h e s are i consistent in their main features with the mureconventional Lewisand Linnett descriptions. For details, the interested reader may wish to consult references 2-4. The theory leads to a 271 X n factorization of 2n2, in which n is the number of circular orbits with principal quantum number n, and 2n is the maximum number of electrons per orbit. Some of the orbit diagrams of references %4 represent "first attemots" and have been revised since nuhlication. More recentiy, I have found that the theory lAds to some simple and interesting speculations concerning the nonexistence of trigonal-hipyramidal NFs and other first-row hy~ercoordinatemolecules (6).the rectaneular shaoe of cvclobutadiene, bent C-C bondsfor C2H4 a i d cycloaikanes;and the electronic structure of CRHS.Here, orbit diaerams are displayed for CH4 and CO2, with maximum occu&mcies of two and four for the valence-shell n = 1and n = 2 orbits. I t might he thought that the use of Bohr circular orbits lies outside the accepted paradigm for modern descriptions of electronic structure. hut the aoolication of the uncertaintv principle to the movement of electrons around them seems to ~ r o v i d eanother examole of a "nositive asnect" ( 1 ) of the principle. However, it skould he'stressed chat the'theory seems unable to distineuish between electronic atoms and T mesonic atoms (2). 1Calso assumes that each electron requires a separate arc of an orbit (2). the lenath of which is determined by the uncertainty principle. .A
To the Editor Refering to our commentator's proposed balanced equation for the Cu/HN03 reaction, he suggests that the amount of HN02 and NO is 2 mol each and, consequently, the ratio HN02:N0 is 1:l. Of course, this agrees with our proposed equation. However, i t is of importance to refer to the last naraeraoh . - . in our oaoer where we cited "Bv varving the ahme mentioned f&rs (1-8) and following
