Textbook Question
Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. (a) Give the electron configuration for the valence molecular orbitals of CO. The orbitals have the same energy order as those of the N2 molecule.
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Ch.8 - Covalent Compounds: Bonding Theories and Molecular Structure
McMurry8th EditionChemistryISBN: 9781292336145
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Table of contents
- Ch.1 - Chemical Tools: Experimentation & Measurement170
- Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules & Ions160
- Ch.3 - Mass Relationships in Chemical Reactions169
- Ch.4 - Reactions in Aqueous Solution199
- Ch.5 - Periodicity & Electronic Structure of Atoms102
- Ch.6 - Ionic Compounds: Periodic Trends and Bonding Theory92
- Ch.7 - Covalent Bonding and Electron-Dot Structures61
- Ch.8 - Covalent Compounds: Bonding Theories and Molecular Structure59
- Ch.9 - Thermochemistry: Chemical Energy122
- Ch.10 - Gases: Their Properties & Behavior155
- Ch.11 - Liquids & Phase Changes54
- Ch.12 - Solids and Solid-State Materials73
- Ch.13 - Solutions & Their Properties120
- Ch.14 - Chemical Kinetics98
- Ch.15 - Chemical Equilibrium125
- Ch.16 - Aqueous Equilibria: Acids & Bases110
- Ch.17 - Applications of Aqueous Equilibria147
- Ch.18 - Thermodynamics: Entropy, Free Energy & Equilibrium86
- Ch.19 - Electrochemistry154
- Ch.20 - Nuclear Chemistry96
- Ch.21 - Transition Elements and Coordination Chemistry156
- Ch.22 - The Main Group Elements187
- Ch.23 - Organic and Biological Chemistry51
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McMurry 8th EditionCh.8 - Covalent Compounds: Bonding Theories and Molecular StructureProblem 107c
McMurry 8th EditionCh.8 - Covalent Compounds: Bonding Theories and Molecular StructureProblem 107cChapter 8, Problem 107c
Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. (c) What is the bond order of CO? Does this match the bond order predicted by the electron-dot structure?
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Step 1: To determine the bond order of a molecule, we need to know the molecular orbital diagram of the molecule. For CO, the molecular orbital diagram shows that there are 10 electrons in bonding orbitals and 2 electrons in antibonding orbitals.
Step 2: The bond order is calculated as the difference between the number of electrons in bonding and antibonding orbitals, divided by 2. So, for CO, the bond order is (10-2)/2 = 4.
Step 3: The electron-dot structure, also known as the Lewis structure, for CO shows a triple bond between the carbon and oxygen atoms. This suggests a bond order of 3.
Step 4: The discrepancy between the bond order calculated from the molecular orbital diagram (4) and the bond order predicted by the electron-dot structure (3) is due to the fact that the electron-dot structure does not take into account the presence of antibonding electrons.
Step 5: Therefore, while the electron-dot structure provides a useful approximation, the molecular orbital theory provides a more accurate description of the bonding in CO.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Bond Order
Bond order is a measure of the number of chemical bonds between a pair of atoms. It is calculated as the difference between the number of bonding electrons and the number of antibonding electrons, divided by two. In the case of carbon monoxide (CO), the bond order can be determined from its molecular orbital configuration, indicating the strength and stability of the bond.
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Average Bond Order
Molecular Orbital Theory
Molecular Orbital Theory describes the behavior of electrons in molecules, where atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals that can be occupied by electrons. For CO, the molecular orbital diagram shows that the bond order is 3, indicating a triple bond between carbon and oxygen. This theory provides a more accurate representation of bonding compared to simple Lewis structures.
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Electron-Dot Structure (Lewis Structure)
The electron-dot structure, or Lewis structure, represents the valence electrons of atoms within a molecule. For CO, the Lewis structure suggests a double bond between carbon and oxygen, which may not accurately reflect the actual bond order. This discrepancy highlights the limitations of Lewis structures in predicting molecular properties compared to molecular orbital theory.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
The dichromate ion, Cr2O72-, has neither Cr¬Cr nor O¬O bonds. (b) How many outer-shell electrons does each Cr atom have in your electron-dot structure? What is the likely geometry around the Cr atoms?
Textbook Question
In the cyanate ion, OCN-, carbon is the central atom.(d) Which hybrid orbitals are used by the C atom, and how many p bonds does the C atom form?
Textbook Question
Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. (b) Do you expect CO to be paramagnetic or diamagnetic?
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Textbook Question
Make a sketch showing the location and geometry of thep orbitals in the nitrite ion, NO2-. Describe the bonding inthis ion using a localized valence bond model for s bondingand a delocalized MO model for p bonding.
Textbook Question
At high temperatures, sulfur vapor is predominantly in the form of S2(g) molecules. (d) When two electrons are added to S2, the disulfide ion S22- is formed. Is the bond length in S22- likely to be shorter or longer than the bond length in S2? Explain.