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| | Linus Pauling (1901-1994) |
 | | Pauling's success depended partly on his persistent probing of the unknown, as well as on his ability to cross scientific boundaries, both of which were necessary in his quest to elucidate the nature of chemical bonding. |
 | | While the physicists regarded the new quantum theory as a solution to understanding physical events on an atomic scale, Pauling had a novel perspective, which used quantum mechanics to describe the structure of the electron orbitals, bond angles, bond energies, and interatomic distances. |
 | | From his understanding of the chemical structure of hemoglobin, Pauling deduced that this clumping of blood may be caused by abnormal hemoglobin molecules that have mutually complementary regions, which would attract each other via weak intermolecular forces. |
| www.accessexcellence.org /AB/BC/Linus_Pauling.html (597 words) |
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