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Chapter 6: Problem 73

(a) What are "valence electrons"? (b) What are "core electrons"? (c) What does each box in an orbital diagram represent? (d) What object is represented by the half arrows in an orbital diagram? What does the direction of the arrow signify?

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom, present in the highest-energy orbitals, and are responsible for the chemical properties and reactivity of an element. (b) Core electrons are the inner electrons, not involved in forming chemical bonds, but help in shielding the positive charge of the nucleus. (c) Each box in an orbital diagram represents an atomic orbital, which can hold a maximum of two electrons with opposite spins. (d) The half arrows in an orbital diagram represent electrons with a specific spin state, where 'up' arrow signifies spin +1/2 and 'down' arrow signifies spin -1/2.

Step by step solution

01

(a) What are "valence electrons"?

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom, which are present in the highest-energy orbitals. These electrons are responsible for the chemical properties of an atom and are involved in forming chemical bonds with other atoms. The number of valence electrons determines the reactivity of an element and their placement within the periodic table.
02

(b) What are "core electrons"?

Core electrons are the inner electrons of an atom, which are not involved in forming chemical bonds. These electrons are present in lower energy levels or orbitals and are closer to the nucleus than the valence electrons. Core electrons play a vital role in shielding the positive charge of the nucleus from the outer electrons, allowing valence electrons to be less strongly attracted to the nucleus and, therefore, more reactive.
03

(c) What does each box in an orbital diagram represent?

In an orbital diagram, each box represents an atomic orbital. An atomic orbital is a region of space around the nucleus of an atom where there is a high probability of finding an electron. Orbitals can have different shapes and energy levels depending on the type of orbital (s, p, d, or f) and the principal quantum number (n). Each box in the diagram can hold a maximum of two electrons with opposite spins.
04

(d) What object is represented by the half arrows in an orbital diagram? What does the direction of the arrow signify?

The half arrows in an orbital diagram represent electrons within the orbitals. The direction of the arrow signifies the electron's spin, which is a quantum mechanical property. There are two possible spin states for an electron, referred to as 'up' and 'down' or 'spin +1/2' and 'spin -1/2'. An 'up' arrow represents an electron with a spin of +1/2, while a 'down' arrow represents an electron with a spin of -1/2. In each orbital, there can only be one electron with a spin +1/2 and one electron with a spin -1/2 due to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, which states that no two electrons in the same atom can have identical quantum numbers.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

One of the emission lines of the hydrogen atom has a wavelength of $94.974 \mathrm{nm}$. (a) In what region of the electromagnetic spectrum is this emission found? (b) Determine the initial and final values of \(n\) associated with this emission.

The hydrogen atom can absorb light of wavelength \(1094 \mathrm{nm}\). (a) In what region of the electromagnetic spectrum is this absorption found? (b) Determine the initial and final values of \(n\) associated with this absorption.

Classify each of the following statements as either true or false: (a) A hydrogen atom in the \(n=3\) state can emit light at only two specific wavelengths, \((\mathbf{b})\) a hydrogen atom in the \(n=2\) state is at a lower energy than one in the \(n=1\) state, and (c) the energy of an emitted photon equals the energy difference of the two states involved in the emission.

Using the periodic table as a guide, write the condensed electron configuration and determine the number of unpaired electrons for the ground state of (a) $\mathrm{Cl},(\mathbf{b}) \mathrm{Al},(\mathbf{c}) \mathrm{Zr},(\mathbf{d})\( As, (e) \)\mathrm{Sb},(\mathbf{f}) \mathrm{W}$

The visible emission lines observed by Balmer all involved $n_{\mathrm{f}}=2 .$ (a) Which of the following is the best explanation of why the lines with \(n_{\mathrm{f}}=3\) are not observed in the visible portion of the spectrum: (i) Transitions to \(n_{\mathrm{f}}=3\) are not allowed to happen, (ii) transitions to \(n_{\mathrm{f}}=3\) emit photons in the infrared portion of the spectrum, (iii) transitions to \(n_{\mathrm{f}}=3\) emit photons in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, or (iv) transitions to \(n_{\mathrm{f}}=3\) emit photons that are at exactly the same wavelengths as those to \(n_{\mathrm{f}}=2 .\) (b) Calculate the wavelengths of the first three lines in the Balmer series-those for which \(n_{1}=3,4\), and 5 -and identify these lines in the emission spectrum shown in Figure 6.11
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