"In fact, when the constraints of hydrogen-bonding are taken into account, the number of possible orientations for a given molecule is no longer six, but 3/2. Therefore, for a crystal of ice with N molecules there are (3/2)N possible ways to arrange the water molecules."
how can there be a Fractional number of ways ? (3/2) ?
also, a crystal implies a regular array - not just the product of the one by one accumulations of molecules!
also: do you mean (3/2)^N or (3/2)*N ? - article seems to use both!
- without further explanation, the article's line of reasoning seems totally unreasonable!
"In fact, when the constraints of hydrogen-bonding are taken into account, the number of possible orientations for a given molecule is no longer six, but 3/2. Therefore, for a crystal of ice with N molecules there are (3/2)N possible ways to arrange the water molecules."
how can there be a Fractional number of ways ? (3/2) ?
also, a crystal implies a regular array - not just the product of the one by one accumulations of molecules!
also: do you mean (3/2)^N or (3/2)*N ? - article seems to use both!
- without further explanation, the article's line of reasoning seems totally unreasonable!
Philip Bradfield - (retired) physicist/crystallography
philipbradfield2@gmail.com