1. Your Questions About Bonds For Dummies
Michael asks…
Is there a "for dummies" type of book to teach me about basic
finance?
I feel like everyone around me knows about financial stuff, and it's as if I missed some kind of
seminar along the way. I'm talking about stocks, bonds, 401k, mutual funds, trust funds, IRAs,
etc. I know very little about them, but I'm in my 20s with a new baby and it's time for me to start
seriously thinking about my family's financial future.
Is there a book that could give me the run-down of the basics of these things? Something that
doesn't assume that I know any kind of jargon or preexisting knowledge.
Steve Winston answers:
There are several books. The starting point is "Investing for Dummies", Second Edition
[Paperback] by Eric Tyson. This will give you the background to understand more specialized
books such as Stock Investing For Dummies [Paperback] by Paul Mladjenovic. Follow this up
with "Bond Investing For Dummies" [Paperback] by Russell Wild and "The Bond Book:
Everything Investors Need to Know About Treasuries, Municipals, GNMAs, Corporates, Zeros,
Bond Funds, Money Market Funds, and More" [Hardcover] by Annette Thau.
Please remember that no one book or a group of books will make you an expert. However these
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2. books will give you the background to ask intelligent questions and understand the answers.
If you speak to investment brokers, remember that they are paid on commission. They will sell
you whatever gives them the greatest commission. Their first loyalty is to themselves. Their
second loyalty is to their employer-the brokerage firm. You are a distant third.
Lizzie asks…
What's an anti bonding molecular orbital?
Chemistry for dummies.. What is it? I understand it has the highest energy and that electrons
are in the bonding orbitals but why does an anti bonding orbital exist.
Any help is appreciated, thank you!
Steve Winston answers:
Anti-bonding molecular orbitals (MOs) result from the rules we use to construct MOs from
atomic orbitals (AOs), the so-called Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals or LCAO approach.
MOs so constructed must follow two rules:
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3. Orbitals must combine according to their symmetry.
For every AO that is used, you must get one MO back.
Let's use hydrogen (H2) as an example. Each hydrogen atom contributes a 1s AO, which is a
standing wave with no nodes. These can combine in two ways:
Subtracting, so that the two 1s orbitals have the opposite phase.
Adding, so that the two 1s orbitals have the same phase.
Because they have cylindrical symmetry about the H-H bond axis, these are called s ("sigma")
MOs. The second combination has a maximum between the two hydrogen atoms (more strictly,
between their nuclei), and is called a bonding MO (s). The first combination has a node--where
the wave goes to zero--between the two nuclei, and is called an anti-bonding MO (s*).
Antibonding MOs are normally higher in energy than bonding MOs, as shown in the diagram
below. Since MOs are occupied two electrons at a time, and each hydrogen atom can
contribute only one electron, only the s (bonding) MO is occupied and the H2 molecule is more
stable than two separated H atoms.
In He2, both the bonding and antibonding orbitals are occupied and there is no net stabilization
of the molecule versus the isolated atoms.
The reason an antibonding MO is antibonding, is because there is actually less wave density
between the two nuclei than there would be if there was no bonding interaction at all. (I say
"wave density" because if the orbital is not occupied, there will be nothing to say about electron
density.) When an MO changes sign (from positive phase to negative phase--which I am
representing as shaded/unshaded) between two atoms, it is said to be antibonding with respect
to those atoms.
In molecules with several atoms, such as benzene, a particular MO may be bonding with
respect to some adjacent pairs of atoms and antibonding with respect to other pairs. If the
bonding interactions outnumber the antibonding interactions, the MO is said to be "bonding,"
while if the antibonding interactions outnumber the bonding interactions, the MO is said to be
"antibonding." As an example, consider the p MOs of benzene:
It can easily be seen that, while the lowest and highest MO are entirely bonding/antibonding,
there are bonding interactions in the second row, right MO, which is nevertheless "antibonding;"
and antibonding interactions in the third row, right MO, which is nevertheless "bonding."
Since each carbon atom contributes only one electron to the p-system of benzene, there are six
p-electrons and only the three lowest-energy MOs--the bonding MOs--are filled.
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4. David asks…
How do I bond with my 7 week old baby?
My baby is frustrated that I'm not giving him my breast- I'm not breastfeeding. I feel that he
really knows- he is almost wrestling with me for it. I thought the problem had calmed over the
last week, but he was very frustrated again this evening. I hold him close to my chest and give
him the dummy/soother and sometimes he relaxes and falls asleep. Does anyone have this
problem and any tips?
Steve Winston answers:
Well for whatever reason you decided not to breastfeed is beyond me because that is the best
way to bond with your baby but i would think you'r baby sounds hungry? Try giving him a bottle
and holding him close against your skin. Sing to him and talk to him...even read him a story they
just love the sound of your voice
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5. Steven asks…
How to get a 3 year old to stop dummies?
I have been in a relationship with a full time single father of two for the past 6 months, having
no children myself I have bonded quite quickly with the children. I am worried about his oldest
daughter of 3 is due to start school in September and she still has her dummy, bottles and is
adament that she wants it all the time! I am worried that it will effect her schooling when she
starts. How on earth can we get her out of it? My partner (her father) feels bad when he doesn't
give her what she wants and she always tantrums when she doesn't get it, therefore he ends up
giving in to her to save arguments sake. I aways feel bad when I don't giver her what she wants
but I stay strong whilst saying No to her, but feel bad at the same time. She visits her mother on
weekends, but they always giver them what they want when the children are over there
meaning they come back after the weekend even worse because they can't get what they want
at home! its really frustrating and upsetting to both me and my partner and the children. What
can we do?
Thanks for the answer ther great, just to add though, the mother never ever corresponds with
what should be happening with the children's behaviour, its really bad i know but nothing seems
to work when my partner tries telling her, and his daughters theeth are starting to become
crooked from the dummy. Its really upsetting because I have become really attached to the
children and want the best for them, but their mother always says different, and as children,
especially girls look up to their mothers they seem to think that what their mother says is right.
dont get me wrong i have no quarms with their mother its just the way she contradicts what we
are trying to do for the children. It seems to muddle them up not knowing where they stand
Steve Winston answers:
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6. It's great that you are making a bold move!
One afternoon I would sit down with her and your partner. The explain to her that dummies are
not for big girls, and that the tooth fairy has asked for all her dummies so that they can get given
to a new baby girl (it would be sweet if you wrote a letter and read the instructions). Then you
will all go on a hunt around the house and collect any dummies you come across, your step
daughter can have the grown up job of putting them in the box. Then that evening when she
goes to bed you leave the dummy box at the end of her bed, and tell her that a new baby will
now use the dummies and that because you are big girl you don't need them anymore. Maybe
as a reward you could buy her a big girl doll etc.
I would advise that you do this on a monday so she has five dummy free days before she next
goes to her mom's home. Each day throughout the week, if she mentions the dummy (or her
little brother or sisters dummy), just remind her that she is a big grown up girl who does not
need a dummy. By the time she goes to her mum's home, she should not be interested in the
dummy - but if she is still, you could always make another dummy hunt at the other house, or
give your step daughter another dummy box for her to collect any dummies at that house!
Hope this helps! You are doing a great job:)
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