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Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding
Chapter 8, Problem 94b

The hypochlorite ion, ClO-, is the active ingredient in bleach. The perchlorate ion, ClO4-, is a main component of rocket propellants. Draw Lewis structures for both ions. (b) What is the formal charge of Cl in the perchlorate ion, assuming the Cl—O bonds are all single bonds?

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Key Concepts

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

Lewis Structures

Lewis structures are diagrams that represent the bonding between atoms in a molecule and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist. They help visualize the arrangement of electrons and the connectivity of atoms, which is crucial for understanding molecular geometry and reactivity. In the case of ions like ClO- and ClO4-, drawing the Lewis structure allows us to see how the chlorine and oxygen atoms are bonded and the distribution of electrons.
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Formal Charge

Formal charge is a concept used to determine the charge of an atom in a molecule or ion, calculated by comparing the number of valence electrons in the free atom to the number of electrons assigned to it in the Lewis structure. It helps assess the stability of a molecule and the distribution of charge. For the perchlorate ion, calculating the formal charge of chlorine involves considering its valence electrons and the bonds it forms with oxygen.
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Ionic and Covalent Bonds

Ionic and covalent bonds are two primary types of chemical bonds. Ionic bonds occur when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, resulting in charged ions, while covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms. In the context of the hypochlorite and perchlorate ions, understanding these bonding types is essential for analyzing their structures and properties, particularly when considering the nature of the Cl—O bonds.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

A major challenge in implementing the 'hydrogen economy' is finding a safe, lightweight, and compact way of storing hydrogen for use as a fuel. The hydrides of light metals are attractive for hydrogen storage because they can store a high weight percentage of hydrogen in a small volume. For example, NaAlH4 can release 5.6% of its mass as H2 upon decomposing to NaH(s), Al(s), and H2(g). NaAlH4 possesses both covalent bonds, which hold polyatomic anions together, and ionic bonds. (d) What is the formal charge on hydrogen in the polyatomic ion?

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Textbook Question

Structures A, B, and C show the connectivity of the atoms in three different molecules that are isomers of C3H4O. By completing the Lewis structures of these molecules, complete the information in the following table:

Isomer A Isomer B Isomer C

Number of single bonds

Number of double bonds

Number of triple bonds

Number of nonbonding pairs

Textbook Question

The triiodide ion, I3-, exists, whereas the corresponding ion with fluorine, F3-, does not. The I3- ion has a linear structure in which two outer I atoms are each bonded to a central I atom. Although I3- is a known ion, F3- is not.

c. Which of the following statements about the existence of I3- versus the nonexistence of F3- is or are true?

i. The Lewis structure of I3- shows 12 electrons around the central I atom.

ii. Elements from the second row of the periodic table generally do not form hypervalent molecules and ions.

iii. An I atom can form a hypervalent molecule or ion more readily than an F atom because of the larger size of the I atom.


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Textbook Question

The following three Lewis structures can be drawn for N2O:

(a) Using formal charges, which of these three resonance forms is likely to be the most important?

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Textbook Question

The following three Lewis structures can be drawn for N2O:

(b) The N—N bond length in N2O is 1.12 Å, slightly longer than a typical N ≡N bond; and the N— O bond length is 1.19 Å, slightly shorter than a typical N ═O bond (see Table 8.4). Based on these data, which resonance structure best represents N2O?

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Textbook Question

Mothballs are composed of naphthalene, C10H8, a molecule that consists of two six-membered rings of carbon fused along an edge, as shown in this incomplete Lewis structure:(a) Draw all of the resonance structures of naphthalene. How many are there?

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