GeCl₄ reacts with Cl^- to give GeCl₆^2-, but CCl₄ does not react with excess Cl^-. Explain.

Video transcript

Welcome back everybody. Our next question says, why does S IC L four react with CL minus to produce S IC L six? Whereas CCL four does not react with CL minus A because CL is more electron than C B because si has vacant P orbitals while C does not C because si has vacant D orbitals while C does not or D because C is more electron than SI. So lets think about these two elements because were comparing them silicon and carbon, both are group four A elements, meaning they have four valence electrons but silicon is in row three whereas carbon is in row two. So we think about bonds they can form. Well, both have this two S 22 P two arrangement but in row two with carbon carbon only has S and P orbitals since it always only has the one and two energy levels available, silicon has D orbitals as well. So we know that when an element has D orbitals available, it can have an expanded octet. So it can bond with more than four atoms, it can hybridize the S and P orbitals can hybridize with those D orbitals offering more orbitals to bind. Whereas if only S and P orbitals are available, sp three hybridization is the greatest number of orbitals available for bonding, which would be four bonds possible. So, carbon cannot form more than four bonds. And that's why it wouldn't react with chloride ions to produce anything different. Whereas silicon chloride could take on some additional chloride bonds. So let's look at our answer. Choices. We would see that choice C is our correct explanation because Si has vacant D orbitals. While C does not, when we look at our other answer, choices, choice B says si has vacant P orbitals while C is not, well, this is not correct, both have vacant P orbitals available. So that wouldn't be our explanation when we look at choice. A because chloride is more electron negative than carbon. Well, that's true, but it's not our explanation. It's also more electron than silicon. So it doesn't explain that difference. So I'll put also silicon and then finally choice D because C is more electron than si. Well, that is true as you go up the periodic table, electronegativity increases since the electrons are closer to the nucleus. But this is not the explanation of why carbon doesn't go on to form more than four bonds. So that's why trustee isn't correct. So once again, if we're looking for the reasoning, why S IC L four will react with chloride ions to produce S IC L six. But CCL four does not is choice C because si has vacant de orbitals while C does not see you in the next video.