Scerri, Eric (2021) Causation, Electronic Configurations and the Periodic Table. Synthese, 198. pp. 9709-9720.
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Abstract
The article examines a recent interventionist account of causation by Ross, in which electronic configurations of atoms are considered to be the cause of chemical behavior.
More specifically I respond to the claim that a change in electronic configuration of an atom, such as occurs in the artificial synthesis of elements, causes a change in the
behavior of the atom in question. I argue that chemical behavior is governed as much by the nuclear charge of an atom as it is by its electronic structure. It is suggested that an adequate analysis requires attention to the dynamical interactions between nuclear charges and those of electrons, as typically carried out through the application of the Schrödinger equation. It is concluded that electronic configurations can only be said be causal in a weak sense that is somewhat analogous to the causal arguments that are
invoked in folk physics.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Causation · Electronic configurations · Periodic table · Chemistry · Quantum chemistry | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Causation Specific Sciences > Chemistry General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science Specific Sciences > Physics General Issues > Reductionism/Holism |
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| Depositing User: | Eric Scerri | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 18 May 2022 13:20 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 18 May 2022 13:20 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 20566 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Synthese | ||||||
| Publisher: | Springer | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Causation Specific Sciences > Chemistry General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science Specific Sciences > Physics General Issues > Reductionism/Holism |
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| Date: | 2021 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 9709-9720 | ||||||
| Volume: | 198 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/20566 |
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