Chemistry of the P Block Flashcards
What type of compounds does boron form
Has no shielding so doesn’t want to lose outer electrons so forms covalent compounds
What type of compounds does aluminium form
Has shielding so loses electrons more easily to form ionic compounds
What is covalent dimer
Two identical covalent molecules join together to make it more stable
Why can boron form complex ionic complexes
Even when bonding with all three electrons it is still electron deficient and so can form coordinate bonds
What are the two allotropes of BN and what structures of carbon do they resemble
Cubic - diamond
hexagonal - graphite
What categories do the group 4 elements fall into
Carbon - non-metal Silicon - metalloid Germanium - metalloid Tin - Metal Lead - Metal
What is the trend in oxidation states down group 4
The +IV state gets less stable and the +II gets more stable. The cross over is just after Tin
What is the inert pair effect
The non-participation of the S orbital electrons in bonding in low group 3-5
Which of these are strong oxidants/reductants
Pb +IV
C +II
Pb +IV = strong reductant
C +II = strong oxidant
What is the trend in group 4 chlorides
Become more ionic going down the group
Why is CCl4 immiscible in water and SiCl4 reacts violently
Silicon has empty d orbitals which water ligands can bond to and break up the molecule
Which elements form complex ions with hydroxides which form a precipitate and then redissolve in excess
Z inc
L ead
A luminium
T in
Which of the halogens has the strongest reducing power
Iodine
Which of the halogens has the strongest oxidising power
Chlorine
What type of reaction is the one between chlorine and water
Disproportionation
