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Chapter 8: Problem 95

Consider the hypothetical molecule \(\mathrm{B}-\mathrm{A}=\mathrm{B}\) . Are the following statements true or false? (a) This molecule cannot exist. (b) If resonance was important, the molecule would have identical \(A-B\) bond lengths.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Statement (a) cannot be definitively considered true or false due to insufficient information on the molecule's thermodynamic stability and electronic configuration. Statement (b) is true because if there were any resonance in the hypothetical molecule \(\mathrm{B}-\mathrm{A}=\mathrm{B}\), it could affect the \(A-B\) bonds, making them equivalent. However, resonance is not important for this molecule as there are no alternative resonance structures.

Step by step solution

01

Statement (a): This molecule cannot exist.

To determine whether the hypothetical molecule \(\mathrm{B}-\mathrm{A}=\mathrm{B}\) could exist, we can refer to the rules of chemistry and bonding. A molecule's existence often depends on its thermodynamic stability and/or the electronic configuration of the atoms involved. However, there isn’t sufficient information provided to conclude the molecule can’t exist. Hence, we cannot definitively consider this statement true or false.
02

Statement (b): If resonance was important, the molecule would have identical \(A-B\) bond lengths.

Resonance occurs when a molecule can be represented by more than one Lewis structure, having the same arrangement of atoms but different distributions of electrons. The actual molecule will be a resonance hybrid of these structures, leading to some averaged properties, such as bond length and bond strength. For the hypothetical molecule \(\mathrm{B}-\mathrm{A}=\mathrm{B}\), there are no alternative ways to distribute the electrons that would lead to different resonance structures while maintaining the same atomic arrangement. Thus, resonance is not important for this molecule. However, if there were any resonance, that could affect the \(A-B\) bonds, making them equivalent. Hence, this statement is true.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(a) Draw the Lewis structure for hydrogen peroxide, \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{2}\) . (b) What is the weakest bond in hydrogen peroxide? (c) Hydrogen peroxide is sold commercially as an aqueous solution in brown bottles to protect it from light. Calculate the longest wavelength of light that has sufficient energy to break the weakest bond in hydrogen peroxide.

A new compound is made that has a \(\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{C}\) bond length of 1.15 \(\mathrm{A} .\) Is this bond likely to be a single, double, or triple \(\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{Cbond} ?\)

(a) Is lattice energy usually endothermic or exothermic? (b) Write the chemical equation that represents the process of lattice energy for the case of NaCl. (c) Would you expect salts like NaCl, which have singly charged ions, to have larger or smaller lattice energies compared to salts like CaO which are composed of doubly-charged ions?

In the following pairs of binary compounds, determine which one is a molecular substance and which one is an ionic substance. Use the appropriate naming convention (for ionic or molecular substances) to assign a name to each compound: (a) \(\mathrm{SiF}_{4}\) and \(\mathrm{LaF}_{3},(\mathbf{b}) \mathrm{FeCl}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{ReCl}_{6},(\mathrm{c}) \mathrm{PbCl}_{4}\) and \(\mathrm{RbCl} .\)

In the vapor phase, \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\) exists as a discrete molecule. (a) Draw the Lewis structure of this molecule, using only single bonds. Does this Lewis structure satisfy the octet rule? (b) What other resonance structures are possible that satisfy the octet rule? (c) On the basis of the formal charges, which Lewis structure is expected to be dominant for BeCl_ \(_{2} ?\)
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