sentence: Chemical bonds link atoms to form molecules.
sentences_before: Electrons surround every atom's nucleus.
sentences_after: A chemical bond links two atoms when electrons are shared between those atoms. Thus QM is the physics of the chemical bond and of chemistry. QM helps us understand how molecules are made, and what their properties are. For a good foundation see 'The Nature of the Chemical Bond,' by Linus Pauling.
concept_name: chemical bond
headings: Quantum mechanics Uses of QM
categories: Basic physics ideas Mechanics Mathematics Nuclear physics Quantum mechanics