Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicos
The aim of the present paper is to analyze the problem of the relationship between chemistry and physics, by focusing on the widely discussed case of the atomic orbitals. We will begin by remembering the difference between the physical and the chemical interpretation of the concept of orbital. Then,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
2010-09-01
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| Series: | Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| Online Access: | https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/20493 |
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| author | Martín Labarca Olimpia Lombardi |
| author_facet | Martín Labarca Olimpia Lombardi |
| author_sort | Martín Labarca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of the present paper is to analyze the problem of the relationship between chemistry and physics, by focusing on the widely discussed case of the atomic orbitals. We will begin by remembering the difference between the physical and the chemical interpretation of the concept of orbital. Then, we will refer to the claim made in 1999 that atomic orbitals have been directly imaged for the first time. On this basis, we will analyze the problem from a new approach, by comparing the concept of orbital used in physics with the concept of orbital used in chemistry. Such an analysis will allow us to argue for an ontological pluralism that admits the coexistence of different ontologies without priorities or metaphysical privileges. From this philosophical framework, the concepts of chemical orbital and physical orbital correspond to two different ontologies. As a consequence, chemical orbitals are real entities belonging to the ontology of molecular chemistry, and can be observed like any other entity not belonging to the quantum mechanical ontology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c8dc861056d241d9a0e65575b7b370a9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1808-1711 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-09-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c8dc861056d241d9a0e65575b7b370a92025-08-20T03:42:14ZengUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaPrincipia: An International Journal of Epistemology1808-17112010-09-0114310.5007/1808-1711.2010v14n3p30915642Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicosMartín Labarca0Olimpia Lombardi1CONICET/Universidad Nacional de QuilmesCONICET/Universidad de Buenos AiresThe aim of the present paper is to analyze the problem of the relationship between chemistry and physics, by focusing on the widely discussed case of the atomic orbitals. We will begin by remembering the difference between the physical and the chemical interpretation of the concept of orbital. Then, we will refer to the claim made in 1999 that atomic orbitals have been directly imaged for the first time. On this basis, we will analyze the problem from a new approach, by comparing the concept of orbital used in physics with the concept of orbital used in chemistry. Such an analysis will allow us to argue for an ontological pluralism that admits the coexistence of different ontologies without priorities or metaphysical privileges. From this philosophical framework, the concepts of chemical orbital and physical orbital correspond to two different ontologies. As a consequence, chemical orbitals are real entities belonging to the ontology of molecular chemistry, and can be observed like any other entity not belonging to the quantum mechanical ontology.https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/20493 |
| spellingShingle | Martín Labarca Olimpia Lombardi Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicos Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| title | Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicos |
| title_full | Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicos |
| title_fullStr | Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicos |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicos |
| title_short | Acerca del status ontológico de las entidades químicas: el caso de los orbitales atómicos |
| title_sort | acerca del status ontologico de las entidades quimicas el caso de los orbitales atomicos |
| url | https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/20493 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT martinlabarca acercadelstatusontologicodelasentidadesquimicaselcasodelosorbitalesatomicos AT olimpialombardi acercadelstatusontologicodelasentidadesquimicaselcasodelosorbitalesatomicos |