PHY 351_TUTORIAL 1

INTRODUCTION

SEPTEMBER 2013

State the main characteristics of the following and give one example of each.
i) Ionic bonding
formed by transfer of electron between two oppositely charged particles.
Example: MgCl
ii) Covalent bonding
formed by mutual sharing of electrons.
Example: CO2
iii) Metallic bonding
strong attraction between positive metals ion.
Example: Aluminium
iv) Hydrogen bonding
formed when a covalent bonded H+ is attracted to a negatively charged atom in neighboring molecule
Example: H2O

SEPTEMBER 2014

Calculate the Coulombic attractive force between a pair of K+ and O2- ions that just touch each other.
The ionic radius for potassium (K) = 0.32 nm and that of oxygen is 0.46 nm. The electronic charge, e = 1.6
x 10-19 C and the permittivity of free space, Ԑ0 = 8.85 x 10-12 C2 N-1 m-2.

𝑍𝑍1 𝑍𝑍2 𝑒𝑒 2
𝐹𝐹 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋𝑎𝑎2
(1)(−2)(1.6𝑥𝑥10−19 𝐶𝐶)2
𝐹𝐹 = −
4𝜋𝜋(8.85𝑥𝑥10−12 𝐶𝐶 2 𝑁𝑁 −1 𝑚𝑚−2 )(7.8𝑥𝑥10−10 𝑚𝑚)2
𝐹𝐹 = 7.57𝑋𝑋10−7 𝑁𝑁
MARCH 2015

Sketch a diagram of intermolecular force versus the separation distance between atoms and show on
the diagram the:
i) Attractive force
ii) Repulsive force
iii) Net force

JANUARY 2018
1. Given that the attractive force between a pair of Sr2+ and O2- ions is 1.29 x 10-8 N and the ionic
radius of O2- ions is 0.132 nm. Calculate the ionic radius of the Sr2+ ion.
Given: Electron charge, e = 1.6 x 10-19 C, Coulomb’s constant, k = 9 x 109 Nm2C-2

𝑍𝑍1 𝑍𝑍2 𝑒𝑒 2
𝐹𝐹 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋𝑎𝑎2
𝐾𝐾𝑍𝑍1 𝑍𝑍2 𝑒𝑒 2
𝐹𝐹 = −
(𝑟𝑟 + 𝑅𝑅)2
(9𝑥𝑥109 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁2 𝐶𝐶 −2 )(−2)(+2)(1.6𝑥𝑥10−19 𝐶𝐶)2
1.29𝑥𝑥10−8 𝑁𝑁 = −
(𝑟𝑟 + 0.132𝑥𝑥10−9 𝑚𝑚)2
(9𝑥𝑥109 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁2 𝐶𝐶 −2 )(−2)(+2)(1.6𝑥𝑥10−19 𝐶𝐶)2
(𝑟𝑟 + 0.132𝑥𝑥10−9 𝑚𝑚)2 = −
1.29𝑥𝑥10−8 𝑁𝑁
(𝑟𝑟 + 0.132𝑥𝑥10−9 𝑚𝑚)2 = 7.1442𝑥𝑥10−20 𝑚𝑚2

𝑟𝑟 = 1.353𝑥𝑥10−10 𝑚𝑚