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Chapter 9: Problem 11

Explain why ions with charges greater than 3 are seldom found in ionic compounds.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Ions with charges greater than 3 are less frequently found in ionic compounds due to the higher ionization energy required to remove or add more than three electrons, which leads to less stable atomic configurations and is energetically unfavorable.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Ionization Energy

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion. The ionization energy of an atom increases with each successive electron removed. This is due to the increase in positive charge of the nucleus, which pulls electrons closer and hence, requires more energy to remove them.
02

Understanding Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom and the ones involved in chemical reactions. Atoms strive to fill or empty their outermost electron shell to achieve stability, depending on which process requires less energy. This 'octet rule' is why atoms generally form ions with charges of 1, 2 or 3, either by gaining or losing that number of electrons to achieve a stable, full outer shell.
03

Applying these Concepts to Ionic Compounds

Ions in ionic compounds generally have charges of +1, +2, -1, -2, +3, or -3. Charges greater than 3 are less common because removing or adding more than three electrons requires significantly more ionization energy and typically represents a less stable configuration. Such an atom would have to gain or lose more than three electrons to achieve a full or empty outer shell, which is energetically unfavorable. Hence, ions with charges greater than 3 are seldom found in ionic compounds.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Write Lewis structures for the reaction $$ \mathrm{AlCl}_{3}+\mathrm{Cl}^{-} \longrightarrow \mathrm{AlCl}_{4}^{-} $$ What kind of bond joins Al and \(\mathrm{Cl}\) in the product?

Give three examples of compounds that do not satisfy the octet rule. Write a Lewis structure for each.

List the following bonds in order of increasing ionic character: the lithium- to-fluorine bond in LiF, the potassium-to-oxygen bond in \(\mathrm{K}_{2} \mathrm{O},\) the nitrogen-tonitrogen bond in \(\mathrm{N}_{2}\), the sulfur-to- oxygen bond in \(\mathrm{SO}_{2},\) the chlorine-to-fluorine bond in \(\mathrm{ClF}_{3}\).

Write Lewis structures for \(\mathrm{SeF}_{4}\) and \(\mathrm{SeF}_{6}\). Is the octet rule satisfied for Se?

Comment on the correctness of the statement, "All compounds containing a noble gas atom violate the octet rule."
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