Chapter 12: Problem 51

For each of the following groups which metal would you expect to have the highest melting point; (a) gold (Au), rhenium (Re), or cesium (Cs); (b) rubidium (Rb), molybdenum (Mo), or indium (In); (c) ruthenium (Ru), strontium (Sr), or cadmium (Cd)?

Short Answer

Expert verified

In summary, the metals expected to have the highest melting points are: (a) Rhenium (Re), (b) Molybdenum (Mo), and (c) Ruthenium (Ru). This is due to their positions in the periodic table, which affect their metallic bond strength, as well as their atomic numbers, which influence the density of their atomic packing.

Step by step solution

Group (a): Gold (Au), Rhenium (Re), or Cesium (Cs)

First, let's compare these three elements by their location on the periodic table. Gold (Au) is a transition metal, rhenium (Re) is also a transition metal, and cesium (Cs) is an alkali metal. In general, transition metals exhibit higher melting points than alkali metals due to their greater number of valence electrons, which leads to stronger metallic bonds. Between gold (Au) and rhenium (Re), rhenium has a higher atomic number (75) than gold (79), which implies a denser packing of atoms and stronger bonding. Therefore, rhenium (Re) is expected to have the highest melting point in this group.

Group (b): Rubidium (Rb), Molybdenum (Mo), or Indium (In)

In this group, rubidium (Rb) is an alkali metal, molybdenum (Mo) is a transition metal, and indium (In) is a post-transition metal. As mentioned earlier, transition metals usually have a higher melting point than alkali metals, so molybdenum (Mo) is expected to have a higher melting point than rubidium (Rb). Molybdenum (Mo) also has a higher atomic number (42) than indium (In) (49), which combined with its position as a transition metal, indicates that molybdenum (Mo) is likely to have the strongest metallic bonds and the highest melting point in this group.

Group (c): Ruthenium (Ru), Strontium (Sr), or Cadmium (Cd)

Lastly, in this group, ruthenium (Ru) is a transition metal, strontium (Sr) is an alkaline earth metal, and cadmium (Cd) is a post-transition metal. Transition metals are known to have higher melting points than alkaline earth metals and post-transition metals. Therefore, ruthenium (Ru), as a transition metal, is anticipated to have a higher melting point than strontium (Sr) and cadmium (Cd).

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For each of the following groups which metal would you expect to have the highest melting point; (a) gold (Au), rhenium (Re), or cesium (Cs); (b) rubidium (Rb), molybdenum (Mo), or indium (In); (c) ruthenium (Ru), strontium (Sr), or cadmium (Cd)?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Group (a): Gold (Au), Rhenium (Re), or Cesium (Cs)

Group (b): Rubidium (Rb), Molybdenum (Mo), or Indium (In)

Group (c): Ruthenium (Ru), Strontium (Sr), or Cadmium (Cd)

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