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Chapter 9: Problem 11

Explain why ions with charges greater than 3 are seldom found in ionic compounds.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Ions with charges greater than 3 are less frequently found in ionic compounds due to the higher ionization energy required to remove or add more than three electrons, which leads to less stable atomic configurations and is energetically unfavorable.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Ionization Energy

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion. The ionization energy of an atom increases with each successive electron removed. This is due to the increase in positive charge of the nucleus, which pulls electrons closer and hence, requires more energy to remove them.
02

Understanding Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom and the ones involved in chemical reactions. Atoms strive to fill or empty their outermost electron shell to achieve stability, depending on which process requires less energy. This 'octet rule' is why atoms generally form ions with charges of 1, 2 or 3, either by gaining or losing that number of electrons to achieve a stable, full outer shell.
03

Applying these Concepts to Ionic Compounds

Ions in ionic compounds generally have charges of +1, +2, -1, -2, +3, or -3. Charges greater than 3 are less common because removing or adding more than three electrons requires significantly more ionization energy and typically represents a less stable configuration. Such an atom would have to gain or lose more than three electrons to achieve a full or empty outer shell, which is energetically unfavorable. Hence, ions with charges greater than 3 are seldom found in ionic compounds.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Ionization Energy
Ionization energy is the energy needed to remove an electron from an atom. This concept is crucial in understanding why ions with charges greater than 3 are rare in ionic compounds. Each electron removed from an atom requires more energy than the previous one. This is because there's increased positive charge in the nucleus, which holds the electrons tightly. As more electrons are removed, the atom becomes positively charged. Removing additional electrons means overcoming even greater nuclear attraction, leading to a steep rise in ionization energy. This explains why forming ions with charges greater than 3 is energetically unfavorable.
Valence Electrons
Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom. They are the ones that participate in chemical reactions. Atoms are always looking for ways to be stable. Stability is achieved when the outer electron shell is either completely filled or emptied. To get to this stability, atoms will either lose or gain electrons, focusing on the valence electrons. The goal is energetically efficient: for example, losing one or two valence electrons if it brings an atom closer to a stable configuration is preferred. There is a practical energy limit to how many electrons can feasibly be lost or gained, usually resulting in ions with charges of +1, +2, or +3.
The Octet Rule
The octet rule is a guideline that helps understand why atoms gain, lose, or share electrons. According to this rule, atoms tend to adjust their electron configuration to have eight electrons in their outermost shell. This is known as an 'octet.' A full outer shell makes the atom more stable, mimicking the electron configuration of noble gases. However, many atoms are not inherently stable and must interact with others to achieve this ideal configuration. Therefore, they form ions that typically have charges of +1, +2, or -3, solving their stability problems with minimal energy expenditure.
Ion Stability
Ion stability refers to how likely it is for an ion to remain in its charged state without further reactions. Generally, ions exist to reach a more stable form. This is why ion charges rarely exceed 3. When an ion has a charge greater than 卤3, the energy required to achieve such a state is significant and often not compensated by a corresponding energy gain in forming a compound. Ions with lesser charges have the right balance of energy expenditure and stability, allowing them to effectively participate in forming stable ionic compounds. Thus, ions with charges higher than 3 are rare due to high ionization energies and low resultant stability.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What is a coordinate covalent bond? Is it different from a normal covalent bond?

List the following bonds in order of increasing ionic character: the lithium- to-fluorine bond in LiF, the potassium-to-oxygen bond in \(\mathrm{K}_{2} \mathrm{O},\) the nitrogen-tonitrogen bond in \(\mathrm{N}_{2}\), the sulfur-to- oxygen bond in \(\mathrm{SO}_{2},\) the chlorine-to-fluorine bond in \(\mathrm{ClF}_{3}\).

Name one ionic compound that contains only nonmetallic elements.

The octet rule applies mainly to the second-period elements. Explain.

Define electronegativity, and explain the difference between electronegativity and electron affinity. Describe in general how the electronegativities of the elements change according to position in the periodic table.
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