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Chapter 7: Problem 35

Many times the claim is made that subshells half-filled with electrons are particularly stable. Can you suggest a possible physical basis for this claim?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The stability of half-filled subshells can be attributed to a combination of effects. First, due to Hund's rule, electrons are distributed with parallel spins across orbitals, minimizing electron-electron repulsion. Second, the symmetry of half-filled configurations leads to balanced electric and magnetic forces within the atom. Consequently, half-filled subshells offer enhanced stability due to parallel electron spins and increased symmetry, minimizing repulsion and creating balanced forces within the atom.

Step by step solution

01

Electron configuration and energy levels

Electrons within an atom are organized into shells and subshells, each with a specific energy level. The stability of an atom or ion is determined by the arrangement of these electrons in their respective shells and subshells. Electrons tend to occupy the lowest energy levels (also called orbitals) available in order to minimize their total energy, which results in increased stability of the atom or ion.
02

Hund's rule and electron spin

Hund's rule states that 鈥渇or a given electron configuration, the term with the maximum multiplicity has the lowest energy.鈥� In simpler terms, this means that when we add electrons to subshells, we first maximally distribute them across the available orbitals with parallel spins before we start to pair them with opposite spins. This is due to the fact that electrons with parallel spins experience less repulsion and are therefore more stable.
03

Half-filled subshells and stability

When a subshell is half-filled, there is one electron in each orbital, all with parallel spins. This configuration provides maximum stability because the repulsion between electrons is minimized. When subshells are half-filled, every electron has its own orbital, meaning that there is no need for electrons to share orbitals, which would increase electron repulsion and destabilize the atom or ion. Additionally, half-filled subshells possess a certain degree of symmetry, which also contributes to their stability. Symmetry is often associated with stability due to the even distribution of electron density, leading to balanced electric and magnetic forces within the atom.
04

Possible physical basis

The physical basis for the stability of half-filled subshells can be explained as a combination of effects. Firstly, the increased stability is a consequence of minimized electron-electron repulsion due to Hund's rule, which distributes electrons with parallel spins across orbitals. Secondly, the symmetry imparted by the half-filled configuration also contributes to its stability as it results in balanced electric and magnetic forces within the atom. These factors together lead to a particularly stable atom or ion when the subshells are half-filled with electrons.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Three elements have the electron configurations 1\(s^{2} 2^{2} 2 p^{6} 3 s^{2}\) 1\(s^{2} 2 s^{2} 2 p^{6} 3 s^{2} 3 p^{4}\) , and 1\(s^{2} 2 s^{2} 2 p^{6} 3 s^{2} 3 p^{6} 4 s^{2} .\) The first ionization energies of these elements (not in the same order) are 0.590 , 0.999, and 0.738 MJ/mol. The atomic radii are 104, 160, and 197 pm. Identify the three elements, and match the appropriate values of ionization energy and atomic radius to each configuration. Complete the following table with the correct information.

Using only the periodic table inside the front cover of the text, write the expected ground-state electron configurations for a. the third element in Group 5 \(\mathrm{A}\) . b. element number \(116 .\) c. an element with three unpaired 5\(d\) electrons. d. the halogen with electrons in the 6\(p\) atomic orbitals.

Which has the more negative electron affinity, the oxygen atom or the \(\mathrm{O}^{-}\) ion? Explain your answer.

Give the name and formula of each of the binary compounds formed from the following elements. a. Li and N b. Na and Br c. K and S

For each of the following pairs of elements $$(\mathrm{C} \text { and } \mathrm{N}) \quad(\text { Ar and Br })$$ pick the atom with a. more favorable (exothermic) electron affinity. b. higher ionization energy. c. larger size.
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