CHEM 2030

Inorganic Chemistry I

EXAM I Example Questions

ANSWERS
Problem 1.
(a) Classify each of the following elements into one of three groups:
Ce, Ge, Fe, In, Si, He, Mg, B, Cs, Al, Be, Ca
Description

Elements

(i) among the 10 most abundant elements on earth and in the universe
(ii) relatively rare on earth but among the 10 most abundant elements
in the universe as a whole
(iii) relatively rare on earth and in the universe

(b) Distribute these 12 elements appropriately into the following three categories:
(i) metal, (ii) semimetal or (iii) non-metal and, label each of these three categories with one of
the following (typical) descriptions:
A. hard, brittle, rel. low density, high melting, solid with extended network covalent bonding.
B. gas, liquid or low melting solid (at STP) with weak intermolecular or interatomic forces.
C. high melting solid with largely ionic bonding and structure; melts to form ionic liquid
D. electrically conductive, opaque (reflective), reflective solid, close-packed (or nearly closepacked) stucture.
E. solid or liquid held together, in part, by hydrogen-bonding; solid form typically has lower
lower density than the liquid.
Categories
(i) metal

elements

(ii) semimetal
(iii) non-metal

description

Problem 2.
(2 Label each element in the list below with its most common/likely oxidation state(s) (+n, 0, or
n, where n is an integer).
Ce,

Si,

Zr,

Sc,

Cl,

S(give 2 in this case), B, Cs,

(b) Combine two of these elements so as to make the most ionic compound possible (among this
group of elements). Explain your choice of elements.

Problem 3.
(a) Give the full electronic configuration for the following elements in their neutral form.
(b) Then, using Slaters rules, calculate the effective nuclear charge (Zeff) for an electron in the
outermost valence shell of the following elements.
Slaters rules for calculating screening constant: = (N-1)n0.35 + N(n-1)0.85 + N(< n-1)1.00
Electronic Config
i.

ii.

iii.

Cl

iv.

Ar

Zeff calculation

(c) Finally, using the values for Zeff that you calculated above, describe how Zeff would affect the first
ionization potential (Hie) for those elements and rank them from lowest to highest Hie.

Problem 4.
(6) For the following ions
(a) Give the electronic configuration for ion
(b) Determine the number of unpaired electrons (if any) in the ion
(c) and identify what orbital those unpaired electrons are in.
(d) Give the electronic configuration for the neutral element

Ion

(a)
Ion electronic config

(b)
# unpaired electrons

Er3+
Cr3+
Cu2+
Re+
As3+
Se2-

(c)
Orbital

(d)
Electronic config of element

Problem 5.
(a)

(b)
(c)

Draw the best (based on formal charge distribution) Lewis structures (including any formal
charges, non-bonding electrons on the central atom, and all equivalent resonance structures) for
ClO-, ClO3-, ClO4- and ClF4-, and use these structures to predict the (average) Cl-O bond order in
the first three species.
Using VSEPR theory, predict (draw and name) the molecular structures for ClO3-, ClO4-, and
ClF4-.
If any of your Lewis structures contain double bonds, indicate whether these double bonds
require the use of p or d orbitals on the central atom.

Problem 6.
(a)

Which of the following combinations of the four quantum numbers correspond to permissible
solutions of the Schroedinger wave equation (Circle the correct sequence of quantum
numbers)
n
2
2
3
4
2

l
3
1
2
1
2

ml
2
2
1
-2
1

ms
1/2
1/2
1/2
-1/2
-1/2

(b)

Which one of the quantum numbers (n, l, ml or ms) represents the spatial direction of the
orbital?

(c)

What type of orbital (s, p, d, f, etc.) is represented by this correct sequence of quantum
numbers?_ __ How many of these orbitals (of equivalent energy) are there? _ ___
Specify their quantum numbers:

(d)

Draw the general shape (2 plot) in a x,y,z coordinate frame of all of the orbitals of this
type, labeling/identifying the particular orbital that you have drawn and adding a + or to the
different lobes corresponding to the different signs that the wavefunction () would have in
these regions.

Problem 7.
(a) Predict which of the following compounds is likely to be strongly H-bonded and on this basis alone
predict the physical form (either a gas or a liquid) for each of the five compounds at room
temperature. Explain your answer briefly, specifying the particular atoms that would be involved
in H-bonding in each of these five cases.
H2O2; P2H4; N2H4; H2S; H3PO4

(b) Choose one of your molecules youve selected as likely to have strong H-bonds in (a) and draw the
Lewis structure for two (or more) molecules, clearly showing the H-bonding interaction between
molecules.