13.4.5: Pauling’s Fifth Rule
- Page ID
- 18355
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We call Pauling’s last rule the principle of parsimony. It states that atomic structures tend to be composed of only a few distinct components. This means that atomic structures are relatively simple and ordered. They normally contain a few types of bonds and only a few types of cation or anion sites. While a mix of ions on a particular site is possible, the mix is limited and controlled. This rule is, in large part, because chemical systems try to minimize energy. The lowest energy arrangements are preferred and much more common than any other possible configurations.