A common non- SI unit of dipole moment , named for Dutch physical chemist Peter Debye. Compare with synthesis . A reaction in which a compound is broken down into simpler compounds or elements. A set of orbitals are said to be degenerate if they all have the same energy. Deliquescent compounds absorb so much moisture from the air that they dissolve.
Examples are calcium chloride and sodium hydroxide.
A loss of chemical function, usually due to some heat or chemically-induced structural change. For example, heating a protein causes it to lose its three dimensional form and it no longer functions correctly. Mass of a substance per unit volume. A model that describes the electronic structure of an atom or molecule by approximating the total energy as a function of electron density. Compare with independent variable .