In chemistry, Abegg’s rule states that the difference between the maximum positive and negative valence of an element is frequently eight. In general, for a given chemical element (as sulfur) Abegg’s rule states that the sum of the absolute value of its negative valence of maximum absolute value (as −2 for sulfur in H₂S) and its positive valence of maximum value (as +6 for sulfur in H₂SO₄) is often equal to 8. The rule was formulated in 1904 by German chemist Richard Abegg. It was used as a basis of argument in Gilbert Lewis’ 1916 famous article "The Atom and the Molecule", an article which later inspired Linus Pauling to write the famous 1938 textbook The Nature of the Chemical Bond. Lewis used this rule to develop his cubical atom theory, which later developed into the octet rule. Abegg’s rule is sometimes referred to as "Abegg’s law of valence and countervalence". Chemistry (from Persian language کیمیا Kimia and Greek χημεία khÄ“meía[1] meaning alchemy) is the science of matter at the atomic to molecular scale, dealing primarily with collections of atoms, such as gases, molecules, crystals, and metals. ... In chemistry, valence, also known as valency or valency number, is a measure of the number of chemical bonds formed by the atoms of a given element. ... Look up element in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... Richard Wilhelm Heinrich Abegg (1869 – 1910) was a German chemist and pioneer of valence theory. ... Lewis in the Berkeley Lab Gilbert Newton Lewis (October 23, 1875-March 23, 1946) was a famous physical chemist. ... Linus Carl Pauling (February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American quantum chemist and biochemist. ... The cubical atom was an early atomic model developed by Gilbert N. Lewis in 1916 to account for the phenomenon of valency. ... The bonding in carbon dioxide The octet rule is a simple chemical rule of thumb that states that atoms tend to combine in such a way that they each have eight electrons in their valence shells, similar to the electronic configuration of a noble gas. ...

See also

• History of the molecule

In chemistry, the history of the molecule traces the origins of the concept or idea of the existence, in nature, of a bonded structure of two or more atoms, according to which the structures of the universe are built. ...

External links

• Abegg’s rule - Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form
• Nuclear Atom - contains and excerpt of Abegg's contributions.