Unit 1- Inorganic chemistry Flashcards
A photon carries energy proportional to what?
The frequency of radiation
The photons in which frequency of radiation can transfer greater amounts of energy?
Those in high frequency radiation transfer greater amounts of energy
What can happen to the electrons within atoms when energy is transferred to these atoms?
The electrons can be promoted to higher energy levels
When does an atom emit a photon of light energy?
When an excited electron moves from a higher energy level to a lower energy level
What happens in absorption spectroscopy?
Electromagnetic radiation is directed at an atomised sample, the radiation is then absorbed as electrons are promoted to higher energy levels
What happens in emission spectroscopy?
High temperatures are used to excite the electrons within atoms, as the electrons drop to lower energy levels, photons are emitted
In atomic spectroscopy, what is the concentration of the element within a sample related to?
The intensity of light emitted or absorbed
What are the 4 different shapes of orbitals?
s, p, d and f
How do electrons behave in an atom?
As standing waves. These are waves that vibrate in time but do not move in space. There are different sizes and shapes of standing wave possible around the nucleus, known as orbitals
How many electrons can an orbital hold?
A maximum of 2
How many electrons can an orbital hold?
A maximum of 2
What is the order of the electromagnetic spectrum from highest to lowest energy?
Gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwaves and radio waves
Electrons within atoms have fixed amounts of energy called…?
Quanta
It is possible to describe any electron within an atom using four quantum numbers, what are these and what do they tell us about the electron?
- principal quantum number (n)- indicates the main energy level for an electron and is related to the size of the orbital
- angular momentum number (l)- determines the shape of the subshell and can have values from zero to n-1
- magnetic quantum number (m)- determines the orientation of the orbital and can have values between -l and +l
- spin magnetic quantum number (s)- determines the spin and can have values of +1/2 or -1/2
What are the 3 rules that determine how electrons within atoms are arranged?
- the aufbau principle
- Hund’s rule
- the Pauli exclusion principle
What is the aufbau principle?
Electrons fill orbitals in order of increasing energy
What is Hund’s rule?
When degenerate orbitals are available, electrons fill each singly, keeping their spins parallel before spin pairing starts
What is the Pauli exclusion principle?
No two electrons in one atom can have the same set of 4 quantum numbers, therefore, no orbital can hold more than two electrons and these two electrons must have opposite spins
In an isolated atom, what can be said about the orbitals within each subset?
They are degenerate (have the same energy)
The periodic table can be split into 4 blocks (s, p, d and f), which correspond to what?
The outer electronic configuration of the elements within these blocks
How are electron pairs arranged?
To minimise repulsion and maximise separation
What are the names for the arrangement of electron pairs around a central atom for two through to six electron pairs?
two electron pairs= linear three electron pairs= trigonal planar four electron pairs= tetrahedral five electron pairs= trigonal bipyramidal six electron pairs= octahedral