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Stochastics, the Basis of Chemical Dynamics

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Robert de Levie

Department of Chemistry, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011

J. Chem. Educ., 2000, 77 (6), p 771

DOI: 10.1021/ed077p771

Publication Date (Web): June 1, 2000

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Chemistry deals with many discrete components, such as molecules and ions, and their discrete interactions, for example, association and bond formation. In those cases, observations of dynamics involving one or a small number of such discrete components may exhibit stochastic behavior, which appears to be random at the level of the isolated observation yet follows strict statistical laws of probability. This abbreviated review describes several examples of stochastic behavior: radioactive disintegration, the opening and closing of ion-conducting channels in bilayer membranes, and enzyme kinetics in small sample volumes. Its complete version, available in JCE Online, contains several additional chemical examples: the formation and dissociation of dimers and polymers in lipid bilayers, and the kinetics of nucleation and growth, as well as several appendices explaining the mathematics involved. The online version also puts stochastic observations in perspective by using examples from other fields, such as Brownian motion, Mendelian genetics, the stochastics of jurisprudence, and some of the perils facing cavalrymen.

Keywords (Audience):

Upper-Division Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Physical Chemistry

Keywords (Subject):

Molecular Mechanics / Dynamics

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