Electronic Structures of Polyatomic Molecules and Valence

The electronic structures of a number of molecules and ions (H₂O, NH₃, CH₄, CF₄, Cl₄, ClO₄^-, SO₄^=, ClO₃^-, SO₃^=, CO₂, and others) are briefly described in terms of one-electron wave functions; other molecular types are easily described in a similar way, and will be discussed in later detailed papers. Many valence phenomena can be understood using these wave functions and a simple rule based on the Pauli principle.