Chapter 1

Answers to Problems

1.1 Only elements and operations other than identity (E) are shown.

(a) NH3 (C3v)

Elements Operations
C3 C3 , C 3 2
3Fv 3Fv

(b) IF5 (C4v)

Elements Operations
C4 , C2 C4 , C 2 , C 4 3
2Fv 2Fv
2Fd 2Fd

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(c) B(OH)3 (C3h)

Elements Operations
C3 C3 , C 3 2
Fh Fh
S3 S3, S35

(d) BCl3 (D3h)

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 Elements Operations
C3 C3 , C 3 2
3C2 3C2
Fh Fh
S3 S3, S35
3Fv 3Fv

(e) C2H6 (staggered configuration) (D3d)

Elements Operations
C3 C3 , C 3 2
3C2 3C2
i i
S6 S6, S65
3Fd 3F

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1.2 The presence of C4 implies the series of operations C4, C42 = C2, C43. Taking these with Fh
gives the following products: C4Fh = FhC4 = S4; C2Fh = FhC2 = i; C43Fh = FhC43 = S43.
Including E, the closed set includes eight operations, which become the eight elements of
the group C4h.

1.3 The group order of C4h is h = 8. Therefore, the possible group orders are g = 4, 2, 1. For g
= 4, we have the set {E, C4, C2, C43}, which is the cyclic group C4, and the set {E, S4, C2,
S43}, which is the cyclic group S4. We also have the set {E, C2, i, Fh}, which is the non-
cyclic group C2h. For g = 2, we have the following closed sets: {E, C2} = C2; {E, Fh} = Cs,
{E, i} = Ci. Including the trivial group C1, these are all the possible subgroups.

1.4 Note: All cyclic groups are Abelian.

(a) C3 = {E, C3, C32} Its multiplication table is

C3 E C3 C3 2
E E C3 C3 2
C3 C3 C32 E
C3 2 C3 2 E C3

Subgroup: C1

(b) C6 = {E, C6, C3, C2, C32, C65} Its multiplication table is

C6 E C6 C3 C2 C32 C65
E E C6 C3 C2 C32 C65
C6 C6 C3 C2 C3 2 C6 5 E
C3 C3 C2 C32 C65 E C6
C2 C2 C32 C65 E C6 C3
C32 C32 C65 E C6 C3 C2
C65 C65 E C6 C3 C2 C32

Subgroups: C3, C2, C1

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 (c) S4 = {E, S4, C2, S43} Its multiplication table is

S4 E S4 C2 S43
E E S4 C2 S43
S4 S4 C2 S43 E
C2 C2 S43 E S4
S43 S43 E S4 C2

Subgroups: C2, C1

1.5 The multiplication table is

C2h E C2 i Fh
E E C2 i Fh
C2 C2 E Fh i
i i Fh E C2
Fh Fh i C2 E

All binary combinations commute, so the group is Abelian. Note also that the diagonal of
Es indicates that each operation is its own reciprocal.

1.6 (a) Cs (assuming the reverse is blank)

(b) C2h
(c) C2v (assuming an identical reverse)
(d) D6h
(e) C6v
(f) Cs
(g) C2v
(h) D3h
(i) D2h
(j) C4v
(k) Cs
(l) D4h
(m) D2d (Hold it so that the seam presents an S profile to see the two dihedral C2 axes.)
(n) D4
(o) Ih (like C60).

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1.7 (a) square pyramid, C4v
(b) bent, C2v [Text should have ClF2+, not CIF2+ as printed. CIF2+ would also be C2v.]
(c) irregular tetrahedron, C2v
(d) centrosymmetric linear, D4h
(e) square planar, D4h
(f) trigonal planar, D3h
(g) octahedral, Oh
(h) noncentrosymmetric linear, C4v
(i) tetrahedral, Td
(j) trigonal bipyramid with O axial, C3v
(k) trans planar, C2h
(l) cis planar, C2v
(m) nonplanar, C2
(n) tetrahedral with one unique S-S bond, C3v
(o) octahedral with trans Xe-O bonds, D4h

1.8 (a) D3h 6 C3v (b) Td 6 D2d (c) D4h 6 D2h (d) D3h 6 D3h (e) D3h 6 C2v (f) D3h 6 Cs
(g) Oh 6 D4h (h) Oh 6 D3d

1.9 (a) D3, chiral

(b) D2h, nonchiral
(c) C2, chiral
(d) C2v (assuming the oxalate ring is essentially planar on average), nonchiral
(e) C1, chiral

1.10 (a) D3h (b) Cs (c) C2 (d) C3 (e) D3 (f) C2

(g) Cs (h) C3v (i) D3d (j) C2h (k) Ci (l) Cs
(m) C2v (n) Cs (o) D2d (p) C1 (q) Td (r) C3v
(s) Cs (t) C3 (u) D2d (v) S4 (w) C2v (x) D6h
(y) D3d (z) C2h

1.11 (a) D5h (b) C2 (c) C2v (d) C5v (e) C2 (f) Cs
(g) Cs (h) C1 (i) C1 (j) Cs (k) C1 (l) Cs

1.12 (a) C2v (b) C2v (c) C2v (d) D2h (e) D3h (f) D2d
(g) Cs (h) D6h (i) D2h (j) D3h (k) Cs (l) C2v
(m) C2v (n) Cs (o) Cs (p) C2v (q) Cs (r) C2v
(s) D3h (t) C1

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