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Chemistry / Re: How does Barium Hydroxide form?

« on: 21/05/2016 06:29:33 »

An oxygen atom has 6 electrons and 2 vacancies. Connect one of its vacancies to the electron in hydrogen, forming OH.  Do likewise with another OH pair. Each OH pair still has one remaining vacancy. Connect each of these vacancies to the two electrons available in barium.

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Chemistry / Re: What are "Energy Levels" in atoms?

« on: 20/05/2016 23:52:43 »

I am sure that there are more energy levels beyond those (in fact, an infinite number of them). And some of those levels are populated for a moment when an atom absorbs a photon; but it rapidly drops back to the more familiar levels by emitting one or more photons.

To permanently fill these shells with electrons requires a corresponding number of protons in the nucleus. And nuclei with that many protons disintegrate rapidly, scattering the electrons with them. So these higher energy levels can't be studied quite as conveniently.