Chapter 4: Problem 110
Place the species \(\mathrm{B}_{2}^{+}, \mathrm{B}_{2},\) and \(\mathrm{B}_{2}^{-}\) in order of increasing bond length and increasing bond energy.
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Recall the molecular orbital diagram for dinitrogen (N鈧)
Write electron configurations for B鈧傗伜, B鈧, and B鈧傗伝
Calculate the bond order for each species
Determine the bond length order
Determine the bond energy order
Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!
-
Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
-
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
-
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
-
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.
Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91影视!
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Bond Order Calculation
\( Bond \text{ } Order = \frac{{(Number \text{ } of \text{ } bonding \text{ } electrons ) - (Number \text{ } of \text{ } antibonding \text{ } electrons )}}{2} \)
Higher bond orders indicate stronger and shorter bonds, since more electrons are engaged in bond formation. Conversely, a low bond order suggests a weaker and longer bond. In our case with the boron molecules (B鈧傗伜, B鈧, B鈧傗伝), the bond order calculation allows us to determine that B鈧傗伝, with the highest bond order of 3.5, has the strongest and shortest bond, while B鈧, with a bond order of 2, has the weakest and longest bond.
Molecular Orbital Diagram
Molecular orbital diagrams are particularly useful in predicting magnetic properties and the bond order of a molecule. For example, in our reference molecule, B鈧, two electrons occupy each of the 蟽1s, 蟽*1s, 蟽2s, and 蟽*2s orbitals, while the 蟺2p orbitals hold the remaining electrons. This electron configuration impacts the overall stability and properties of the molecule.
Electron Configuration
In our exercise, the species B鈧傗伜, B鈧, and B鈧傗伝 have different numbers of electrons. As a result, their electron configurations are distinct, which affects their respective bond orders. Since B鈧傗伜 has one less electron than B鈧, and B鈧傗伝 has one more, their configurations and thus their chemical properties vary.
Bond Length and Energy Relationship
In the context of the B鈧傗伜, B鈧, and B鈧傗伝 molecules, we utilized the bond order as an indication of this relationship. The species B鈧傗伜, with a bond order of 2.5, represents an intermediate bond length and energy, while B鈧, with the longest bond and the least bond energy due to the lowest bond order of 2. These fundamental concepts allow us to predict and compare the stability of different molecules based on their bond orders, lengths, and bond energies.