Chapter 9: Problem 18
Determine the bond order of a cyanide ion.
Short Answer
Expert verified
The bond order of the cyanide ion (CN鈦) is 3.
Step by step solution
01
Understanding Cyanide Ion
The cyanide ion (CN鈦) consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom with one additional negative charge. We need to consider this information when building the molecular orbital (MO) diagram.
02
Calculate Total Electrons
Carbon (C) has 6 electrons and Nitrogen (N) has 7 electrons. Since there's an extra negative charge (CN鈦), we add 1 electron. This sums up to 6 + 7 + 1 = 14 electrons.
03
Construct MO Diagram
For molecules like CN鈦, which are period-2 diatomics, the MO diagram is as follows: - \( ext{1s}_C\) and \( ext{1s}_N\) form \( ext{蟽1s}\) and \( ext{蟽1s}^*\). - \( ext{2s}_C\) and \( ext{2s}_N\) form \( ext{蟽2s}\) and \( ext{蟽2s}^*\). - \( ext{2p} ext{ orbitals mix to form } ext{ 蟽2p}, ext{ 蟺2p}, ext{ 蟺2p}^*, ext{ and } ext{ 蟽2p}^*\) with an order for stronger multiple bonds: \(蟽2s, 蟽2s^*, 蟺2p_x, 蟺2p_y, 蟽2p, 蟺2p_x^*, 蟺2p_y^*, 蟽2p^* \).
04
Fill Electrons and Determine Bond Order
Fill the MOs starting from lowest energy to highest: \(蟽1s^2, 蟽1s^{*2}, 蟽2s^2, 蟽2s^{*2}, 蟺2p_x^4, 蟽2p^2 \).The bond order is calculated as the difference between the number of bonding electrons and antibonding electrons, divided by 2.Number of bonding electrons = 8Number of antibonding electrons = 2Bond order \ = \frac{8 - 2}{2} = 3\.
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.
Cyanide Ion
The cyanide ion, represented as CN鈦, is a crucial species in chemistry. It consists of two atoms: carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), forming a diatomic molecule. These atoms share a strong triple bond, accompanied by an additional negative charge. This negative charge is significant because it affects the total electron count in the ion. Understanding the configuration of the cyanide ion is essential for determining properties such as bond order. When studying the cyanide ion, we consider that the carbon atom has six electrons and the nitrogen has seven electrons. With the added electron due to the negative charge, the total electron count is 14. This extra electron influences the molecular orbital theory and the subsequent calculations.
Bond Order
Bond order is a concept used to determine the stability and number of bonds between two atoms. It is a numerical value that helps chemists understand how strong or weak a bond is. In molecular orbital theory, bond order is calculated by taking the difference between the number of electrons in bonding orbitals and the number of electrons in antibonding orbitals, then dividing the result by two. For the cyanide ion, CN鈦, after filling up the molecular orbitals according to their energy levels, we find that there are 8 electrons in bonding orbitals and 2 electrons in antibonding orbitals. This results in a bond order of:\[ \text{Bond Order} = \frac{8 - 2}{2} = 3 \]A bond order of 3 indicates a stable triple bond between the carbon and nitrogen atoms, which is characteristic of compounds with a high degree of bonding and chemical stability.
Diatomic Molecules
Diatomic molecules are molecules composed of only two atoms, which can be of the same or different chemical elements. In the context of molecular orbital theory, examining diatomic molecules like CN鈦 involves focusing on the interactions between the atomic orbitals of these two atoms. Diatomic molecules often serve as a simplified model for understanding more complex bonding situations in chemistry. For each diatomic molecule, the aim is to understand how the atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals. These molecular orbitals provide insights into the physical and chemical properties of the molecule, such as bond length, bond angle, bond strength, and overall reactivity. With cyanide, the carbon-nitrogen triple bond is a classic example of a diatomic bond, exhibiting strong overlap and hybridization of atomic orbitals.
Molecular Orbital Diagram
A molecular orbital (MO) diagram is an illustration that depicts the energy levels of molecular orbitals created by the combination of atomic orbitals in a molecule. For the cyanide ion, CN鈦, the MO diagram plays a vital role in calculating the bond order and understanding its bonding characteristics. Since CN鈦 is a period-2 diatomic molecule, its MO diagram starts with the combination of 1s atomic orbitals to form bonding and antibonding sigma orbitals. Then, the 2s orbitals combine in a similar manner. The complexity rises with the 2p orbitals, where interaction results in the formation of sigma and pi molecular orbitals both in bonding and antibonding arrangements. Generally, these orbitals are filled starting from the lowest energy levels upward. For CN鈦, the filling order tells us that 14 electrons occupy the molecular orbitals, eventually highlighting the arrangement of bonding versus antibonding electrons and allowing the calculation of the bond order as described previously.