PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Periodicity
1. Why do elements in the same group have similar physical and chemical properties?
2. What does atomic radius and ionic radius really mean to you?
3. How do atomic radius vary in a period and in a group? How do you explain the variation?
4. What do you understand by isoelectronic species? Name a species that will be isoelectronic
with each of the following atoms or ions.
F–, Ar, Mg2+, Rb+
5. Consider the following species :N3–, O2–, F–, Na+, Mg2+and Al3+
(i) What is common in them?
(ii) Arrange them in the order of increasing ionic radii.
6. Explain why cation are smaller and anions larger in radii than their parent atoms?
7. Energy of an electron in the ground state of the hydrogen atom is –2.18×10–18J. Calculate the
ionization enthalpy of atomic hydrogen in terms of J mol–1 .
8. Among the second period elements the actual ionization enthalpies are in the order Li < B <
Be < C < O < N < F < Ne.
9. Explain why
(i) Be has higher first ionization energy than B
(ii) O has lower first ionization energy than N and F?
10. How would you explain the fact that the first ionization enthalpy of sodium is lower than that
of magnesium but its second ionization enthalpy is higher than that of magnesium?
11. What are the various factors due to which the ionization enthalpy of the main group elements
tends to decrease down a group?
12. Which of the following pairs of elements would have a more negative electron gain
enthalpy?
(i) O or F
(ii) F or Cl
13. Would you expect the second electron gain enthalpy of O as positive, more negative or less
negative than the first? Justify your answer.
14. Would you expect the first ionization enthalpies for two isotopes of the same element to be
the same or different? Justify your answer

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Molecular Bonding
1. Use molecular orbital theory to rank the bond energies of the following diatomic species
from weakest to the strongest: H2, H2-, H22-
2. Use a molecular orbital energy-level diagram, to predict the bond order in the He22+ ion. Is
this a stable species?
3. Use a molecular orbital energy-level diagram to predict the valence-electron configuration
and bond order of the H22− ion. Is this a stable species?
4. What is the distinction between an atomic orbital and a molecular orbital? How many
electrons can a molecular orbital accommodate?
5. Constructive and destructive interference of waves can be used to understand how bonding
and antibonding molecular orbitals are formed from atomic orbitals. Does constructive
interference of waves result in increased or decreased electron probability density between
the nuclei? Is the result of constructive interference best described as a bonding molecular
orbital or an antibonding molecular orbital?
6. What is the relationship between bond length and bond order? What effect do antibonding
electrons have on bond length? on bond strength
7. Draw a diagram that illustrates how atomic p orbitals can form both σ and π molecular
orbitals. Which type of molecular orbital typically results in a stronger bond?
8. The energy of a σ molecular orbital is usually lower than the energy of a π molecular orbital
derived from the same set of atomic orbitals. Under specific conditions, however, the order
can be reversed. What causes this reversal? In which portion of the periodic table is this kind
of orbital energy reversal most likely to be observed?
9. Explain why the oxidation of O2 decreases the bond distance, whereas the oxidation of N2
increases the N–N distance. Could Lewis electron structures be employed to answer this
problem?
10. If all the p orbitals in the valence shells of two atoms interact, how many molecular orbitals
are formed? Why is it not possible to form three π orbitals (and the corresponding
antibonding orbitals) from the set of six p orbitals?

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11. Draw a complete energy-level diagram for B2. Determine the bond order and whether the
molecule is paramagnetic or diamagnetic. Explain your rationale for the order of the
molecular orbitals.

Coordination Compounds

1. What are the d-electron configurations of the following transition metal ions?
Mn2+, Cu2+, Co3+, Ti3+ and Cr2+
2. What is the oxidation state of the transition metal ion in each of the following complexes
(i) Na3[FeCl6]
(ii) [CoCl(NH3)5]Cl2
(iii)[Re(CO)5Cl]
3. Give the systematic name for each of the following coordination compounds
(i) [Ni(OH2)6]SO4
(ii) [CrCl2(en)2]Cl2
(iii)K2[COCl4]
(iv) [Fe(en)3][Fe(CO)4] (Hint: The oxidation number of Fe in the complex cation is +2)
4. Write the formula for the following coordination compounds
(i) Tris(ethylenediamine) ruthenium (II) chloride
(ii) Potassium hexachloridoplatinate(II)
(iii)Ammonium diaquatetracyanidoferrate(II)
5. A student prepared a cobalt complex that has one of the following three structures:
[Co(NH3)6]Cl3, [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2, [Co(NH3)4Cl2]Cl. Explain how the student would
distinguish between these possibilities by an electrical conductance experiment. At the
student’s disposal are three strong electrolytes – NaCl, MgCl2, FeCl3 – which may be used
for comparison purposes
6. The label of a certain brand of mayonnaise lists EDTA as a food preservative. How does
EDTA prevent the spoilage of mayonnaise
7. The complex ion has an absorption maximum [Cu(H2O)6]2+ at around 800 nm. When four
ammonias replace water, [Cu(NH3)4(H2O)2]2 , the absorption maximum shifts to around 600
nm. What do these results signify in terms of the relative field splitting of NH3 and H2O?
Explain.

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8. Consider the complex ions Co(NH3)63-, Co(CN)63-, and CoF63-.The wavelengths of absorbed
electromagnetic radiation for these compounds (in no specific order) are 770 nm, 440 nm,
and 290 nm. .Match the complex ion to the wavelength of absorbed electromagnetic radiation
9. The complex [Mn(H2O)6]SO4 is high. State
(i) The coordination number of the metal
(ii) The oxidation number and number of d electrons of the metal
(iii)The geometry of the complex
(iv) The number of unpaired electrons in the complex