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Ch.21 - Transition Elements and Coordination Chemistry
Chapter 21, Problem 21.136c

The percent iron in iron ore can be determined by dissolving the ore in acid, then reducing the iron to Fe2+, and finally titrating the Fe2+ with aqueous KMnO4. The reaction products are Fe2+ and Mn2+.
(c) Draw a crystal field energy-level diagram for the reactants and products, MnO4-, 3Fe1H2O2642+, 3Fe1H2O2643+, and 3Mn1H2O2642+, and predict the number of unpaired electrons for each.

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Key Concepts

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

Crystal Field Theory

Crystal Field Theory (CFT) explains the electronic structure of transition metal complexes by considering the effect of surrounding ligands on the d-orbitals of the metal ion. In an octahedral field, for example, the d-orbitals split into two energy levels: the lower-energy t2g and the higher-energy eg. This splitting influences the arrangement of electrons and the magnetic properties of the complex, including the number of unpaired electrons.
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The study of ligand-metal interactions helped to form Ligand Field Theory which combines CFT with MO Theory.

Titration and Redox Reactions

Titration is a quantitative analytical method used to determine the concentration of a solute in a solution. In this context, the titration involves a redox reaction where Fe2+ ions are oxidized to Fe3+ by KMnO4, which is reduced from MnO4- to Mn2+. Understanding the stoichiometry of this reaction is crucial for calculating the percent iron in the ore based on the volume of KMnO4 used.
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Identifying Redox Reactions

Unpaired Electrons and Magnetic Properties

The presence of unpaired electrons in an atom or ion determines its magnetic properties. Transition metal complexes can exhibit paramagnetism if they have unpaired electrons, while those with all paired electrons are diamagnetic. By analyzing the electron configuration of the reactants and products in the given reaction, one can predict the number of unpaired electrons and thus infer the magnetic behavior of the complexes.
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Magnetic Quantum Example
Related Practice
Textbook Question

The amount of paramagnetism for a first-series transition metal complex is related approximately to its spin-only magnetic moment. The spin-only value of the magnetic moment in units of Bohr magnetons (BM) is given by sqrt(n(n + 2)), where n is the number of unpaired electrons. Calculate the spin-only value of the magnetic moment for the 2+ ions of the first-series transition metals (except Sc) in octahedral complexes with (a) weak-field ligands and (b) strong-field ligands. For which electron configurations can the magnetic moment distinguish between high-spin and low-spin electron configurations?

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Textbook Question

Spinach contains a lot of iron but is not a good source of dietary iron because nearly all the iron is tied up in the oxalate complex [Fe(C2O4)3]3-.

(c) Draw a crystal field energy-level diagram for [Fe(C2O4)3]3-, and predict the number of unpaired electrons. (C2O42- is a weak-field bidentate ligand.)

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Textbook Question

Spinach contains a lot of iron but is not a good source of dietary iron because nearly all the iron is tied up in the oxalate complex [Fe(C2O4)3]3-.

(d) Draw the structure of [Fe(C2O4)3]3-. Is the complex chiral or achiral?

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Textbook Question

The complete reaction of 2.60 g of chromium metal with 50.00 mL of 1.200 M H2SO4 in the absence of air gave a blue solution and a colorless gas that was collected at 25°C and a pressure of 735 mm Hg. (e) When an excess of KCN is added to the solution, the color changes, and the paramagnetism of the solution

decreases. Explain.

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Textbook Question

In acidic aqueous solution, the complex trans-[Co(en)2Cl1]2+(aq) undergoes the following substitution reaction:

trans-[Co(en)1Cl2]+(aq) + H2O(l) → trans-[Co(en)2(H2O)Cl]2+(aq) + Cl(aq)

The reaction is first order in trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]+(aq), and the rate constant at 25°C is 3.2×10–5 s–1.

(d) Is the reaction product chiral or achiral? Explain.

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Textbook Question

In acidic aqueous solution, the complex trans-[Co(en)2Cl1]2+(aq) undergoes the following substitution reaction:

trans-[Co(en)2Cl1]+(aq) + H2O(l) → trans-[Co(en)2(H2O)Cl]2+(aq) + Cl(aq)

The reaction is first order in trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]+(aq), and the rate constant at 25°C is 3.2×10–5 s–1.

e. Draw a crystal field energy-level diagram for ​trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]+ that takes account of the fact that Cl is a weaker-field ligand than ethylenediamine.

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