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Ch.6 - Electronic Structure of Atoms
Chapter 6, Problem 107d

The discovery of hafnium, element number 72, provided a controversial episode in chemistry. G. Urbain, a French chemist, claimed in 1911 to have isolated an element number 72 from a sample of rare earth (elements 58–71) compounds. However, Niels Bohr believed that hafnium was more likely to be found along with zirconium than with the rare earths. D. Coster and G. von Hevesy, working in Bohr's laboratory in Copenhagen, showed in 1922 that element 72 was present in a sample of Norwegian zircon, an ore of zirconium. (The name hafnium comes from the Latin name for Copenhagen, Hafnia). (d) Using their electron configurations, account for the fact that Zr and Hf form chlorides MCl4 and oxides MO2.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. For transition metals like zirconium (Zr) and hafnium (Hf), understanding their electron configurations is crucial for predicting their chemical behavior, including their ability to form compounds. Zr has the electron configuration [Kr] 4d² 5s², while Hf is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d² 6s², indicating their similar valence electron arrangements that influence their bonding characteristics.
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Chloride and Oxide Formation

Zirconium and hafnium can form chlorides (MCl₄) and oxides (MO₂) due to their ability to achieve stable oxidation states. In these compounds, Zr and Hf typically exhibit a +4 oxidation state, allowing them to bond with four chloride ions or two oxide ions. This behavior is a result of their electron configurations, which enable them to lose electrons and form stable ionic compounds.
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Periodic Trends and Similarities

Zirconium and hafnium are in the same group of the periodic table, which means they share similar chemical properties due to their comparable electron configurations. This periodic trend leads to similarities in their reactivity and the types of compounds they form, such as chlorides and oxides. Understanding these trends helps explain why these two elements behave similarly in chemical reactions despite being in different periods.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

In the experiment shown schematically below, a beam of neutral atoms is passed through a magnetic field. Atoms that have unpaired electrons are deflected in different directions in the magnetic field depending on the value of the electron spin quantum number. In the experiment illustrated, we envision that a beam of hydrogen atoms splits into two beams. (a) What is the significance of the observation that the single beam splits into two beams?

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Textbook Question

In the experiment shown schematically below, a beam of neutral atoms is passed through a magnetic field. Atoms that have unpaired electrons are deflected in different directions in the magnetic field depending on the value of the electron spin quantum number. In the experiment illustrated, we envision that a beam of hydrogen atoms splits into two beams. (c) What do you think would happen if the beam of hydrogen atoms were replaced with a beam of helium atoms? Why?

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Textbook Question

The discovery of hafnium, element number 72, provided a controversial episode in chemistry. G. Urbain, a French chemist, claimed in 1911 to have isolated an element number 72 from a sample of rare earth (elements 58–71) compounds. However, Niels Bohr believed that hafnium was more likely to be found along with zirconium than with the rare earths. D. Coster and G. von Hevesy, working in Bohr's laboratory in Copenhagen, showed in 1922 that element 72 was present in a sample of Norwegian zircon, an ore of zirconium. (The name hafnium comes from the Latin name for Copenhagen, Hafnia). (a) How would you use electron configuration arguments to justify Bohr's prediction?

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Textbook Question

The first 25 years of the twentieth century were momentous for the rapid pace of change in scientists' understanding of the nature of matter. (b) In what ways is de Broglie's hypothesis, as it applies to electrons, consistent with J. J. Thomson's conclusion that the electron has mass? In what sense is it consistent with proposals preceding Thomson's work that the cathode rays are a wave phenomenon?

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Textbook Question

The two most common isotopes of uranium are 235U and 238U. (b) Using the periodic table in the frontinside cover, write the electron configuration for a U atom.

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Textbook Question

The two most common isotopes of uranium are 235U and 238U. (d) 238U undergoes radioactive decay to 234Th. How many protons, electrons, and neutrons are gained or lost by the 238U atom during this process? (e) Examine the electron configuration for Th in Figure 6.31. Are you surprised by what you find? Explain.

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