Use formal charge arguments to explain why \(\mathrm{CO}\) has a much smaller dipole moment than would be expected on the basis of electronegativity.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The smaller dipole moment in CO can be explained using formal charge arguments. Although oxygen is more electronegative than carbon, both atoms have a formal charge of 0 in the molecule's Lewis structure. This indicates no charge separation between the atoms due to the equal sharing of electrons in the triple bond, resulting in a less polar bond and a smaller overall electric dipole moment than expected based on electronegativity alone.

Step by step solution

01

Determine the Lewis structure of CO

First, we need to determine the Lewis structure of CO. Carbon has 4 valence electrons and oxygen has 6 valence electrons, giving a total of 10 valence electrons in the CO molecule. The most stable Lewis structure for CO is a triple bond between the carbon and oxygen atoms, with one lone pair on the carbon atom and two lone pairs on the oxygen atom. Here's an example of what this structure looks like: ``` :C≡O: ```
02

Calculate formal charges

Next, we will calculate the formal charges of the carbon and oxygen atoms in the Lewis structure. Formal charge is calculated using the formula: Formal charge = (number of valence electrons on the free atom) - (number of non-bonding electrons) - (½ × number of bonding electrons) For carbon, the formal charge is: Formal charge of C = (4) - (2) - (½ × 6) = 0 For oxygen, the formal charge is: Formal charge of O = (6) - (4) - (½ × 6) = 0 Both atoms have a formal charge of 0.
03

Relate formal charges to dipole moment

Since both the carbon and oxygen atoms have a formal charge of 0, there is no charge separation between the atoms in the CO molecule, despite their different electronegativities. The equal sharing of electrons in the triple bond between carbon and oxygen results in a less polar bond than would be expected based on electronegativity alone. As a result, the dipole moment of CO is much smaller than expected, based on the electronegativities of carbon and oxygen. This means that the CO molecule is less polar, leading to a smaller overall electric dipole moment. In conclusion, the smaller dipole moment in CO can be explained by the formal charge arguments, which reveal that there is no charge separation between the carbon and oxygen atoms in the molecule due to the equal sharing of electrons in the triple bond. Although oxygen is more electronegative than carbon, the structure of the molecule leads to a smaller dipole moment than would be expected based on their electronegativities.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

\(\operatorname{LiI}(s)\) has a heat of formation of \(-272 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mol}\) and a lattice energy of \(-753 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mol}\). The ionization energy of \(\mathrm{Li}(g)\) is 520 . \(\mathrm{kJ} / \mathrm{mol}\), the bond energy of \(\mathrm{I}_{2}(g)\) is \(151 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mol}\), and the electron affinity of \(\mathrm{I}(g)\) is \(-295 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mol}\). Use these data to determine the heat of sublimation of \(\operatorname{Li}(s)\).

Predict the molecular structure (including bond angles) for each of the following. a. \(\mathrm{SeO}_{3}\) b. \(\mathrm{SeO}_{2}\)

The second electron affinity values for both oxygen and sulfur are unfavorable (endothermic). Explain.

Oxidation of the cyanide ion produces the stable cyanate ion, \(\mathrm{OCN}^{-}\). The fulminate ion, \(\mathrm{CNO}^{-}\), on the other hand, is very unstable. Fulminate salts explode when struck; \(\mathrm{Hg}(\mathrm{CNO})_{2}\) is used in blasting caps. Write the Lewis structures and assign formal charges for the cyanate and fulminate ions. Why is the fulminate ion so unstable? (C is the central atom in \(\mathrm{OCN}^{-}\) and \(\mathrm{N}\) is the central atom in \(\mathrm{CNO}^{-} .\).)

An alternative definition of electronegativity is Electronegativity \(=\) constant (I.E. \(-\) E.A.) where I.E. is the ionization energy and E.A. is the electron affinity using the sign conventions of this book. Use data in Chapter 7 to calculate the (I.E. \(-\) E.A.) term for \(\mathrm{F}, \mathrm{Cl}, \mathrm{Br}\), and \(\mathrm{I}\). Do these values show the same trend as the electronegativity values given in this chapter? The first ionization energies of the halogens are \(1678,1255,1138\), and \(1007 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mol}\), respectively. (Hint: Choose a constant so that the electronegativity of fluorine equals 4.0. Using this constant, calculate relative electronegativities for the other halogens and compare to values given in the text.)

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free