Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: I present two arguments concerning the metaphysics of the chemical bond—the interatomic state underlying the structure of matter—by examining its structural and energetic conceptions. First, I argue that these conceptions of the chemical bond are plagued by an inherent vagueness owing to their sorites-susceptibility. Second, I argue that such vagueness can be remedied through infinite-valued semantics via a compatibility function that assigns degrees of chemical bonding to any pair of atoms, depending on their spatial arrangement. I support these arguments through quantum-mechanical calculations of the archetypal hydrogen molecule.
Author: Michele Pizzochero
Institutions: Harvard University, University of Bath
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,290
OpenAlex ID: W4411418604