NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAIL ADDRESS TELEPHONE

INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES 678.5500

2880 BROADWAY

NEW YORK. N. Y. 10025

May 17, 1976

Mr. K. Snelson

140 Sullivan St.

New York, N.Y. 10012

Dear Mr. Snelson:

Thank you for sending your interesting manuscript "Portrait of an Atom", which I enjoyed reading. I have shown it to several physicists working here, who were impressed by how clearly and accurately it was written. One said it was a better description than found in most elementary textbooks. They could find no glaring scientific errors, but one commented that your model may give the impression to the non-specialist that the atom is very bulky. He pointed out that most of the atomic mass is concentrated in its nucleus. (However, packing models of crystals are also misleading in this respect, since they portray the atom as a "solid" of mutually touching spheres.) Your model could be simplified, because in most atoms, the filled, inner-shells of electrons acquire spherical symmetry, if I recall correctly, and can therefore be represented by concentric, nested spheres. Only valence electrons, occupying unfilled electronic shells, reside in the balloon-shaped orbitals.

You could submit your manuscript to the Journal of Chemical Education or J. of Physics Education.

Wishing you success in your project,

Sincerely yours,

(signed) Vivien Gornitz