Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
1.52
If the
s
and
p
orbitals were hybridized to
sp
3
,
two electrons would go into one of these
orbitals and one electron would go into each of the remaining three orbitals.
2
p
sp
3
2
s
The predicted geometry of ammonia would then be tetrahedral, with one hydrogen at
each of three corners, and the unshared pair at the fourth corner. In fact, ammonia has a
pyramidal shape, a somewhat flattened tetrahedron. The H-N-H bond angle is 107º.
1.53
The ammonium ion is, in fact, isoelectronic (the same arrangement of electrons) with
methane, and consequently has the same geometry. Four
sp
3
orbitals of nitrogen each
contain one electron. These orbitals then overlap with the 1
s
hydrogen orbitals, as in
Figure 1.9.
1.54
The geometry is tetrahedral at carbon. It does not matter whether we draw the wedge
bonds to the right or to the left of the carbon, or indeed “up” or “down”.
1.55
The bonding in SiF
4
is exactly as in carbon tetrafluoride (CF
4
). The geometry of silicon
tetrafluoride is tetrahedral.
F
Si
F
F
F
1.56
a.
OH
O
HO
H
HH
HH
HH
H
OH
H
O
H
H
H
HO
H
H
H
H
HH
HH
H
H
A
B
C
b.
Structures
A
and
B
are identical. Structures
A
and
C
are isomers. They both
have the molecular formula C
3
H
8
O, but
A
is an alcohol and
C
is an ether.
1.57
Many correct answers are possible; a few are given here for part (a).
