Interatomare

Interatomare is an Italian term used in physics and chemistry to describe phenomena, properties, or processes that arise from interactions between atoms. The closest English equivalent is interatomic. In Italian, the more common adjective for topics centered on interactions among atoms is interatomico, while interatomare is often encountered as a verb form meaning to affect, involve, or describe interatomic effects in a given context.

The concept encompasses the forces and potential relationships that govern how atoms attract, repel, bond, and move relative to one another. It helps explain chemical bonding (covalent, ionic, metallic), lattice cohesion in solids, and the dynamical behavior of materials under stress or at different temperatures. Interatomic phenomena are distinguished from intramolecular effects (within a single molecule) and, in many contexts, from intermolecular forces (between separate molecules), though many interatomic interactions contribute to both bonding and nonbonding interatomic behavior.

In practice, interatomic interactions are described by potentials or energy surfaces as a function of the distance between atoms. Common models include the Lennard-Jones potential, Morse potential, and various ab initio or empirical potentials used in quantum chemistry and solid-state physics. These models underpin calculations of bond lengths, vibrational modes (phonons), diffusion, phase transitions, and mechanical properties of materials.

Interatomic concepts are studied through experimental techniques such as X-ray and neutron diffraction, spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, as well as computational methods in quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics. Applications span materials science, crystallography, nanotechnology, and molecular chemistry.

See also: interatomic potential, bond length, covalent bond, ionic bond, van der Waals forces, crystallography, solid-state physics.