Chemistry

Chemistry

Spin

Electron spin acts like a bar magnet. Electrons with parallel spin have a magnetic repulsion that adds to the electrostatic repulsion. Electrons with anti-parallel spin have a magnetic attraction that reduces the electrostatic repulsion.

Orbitals

These rules apply to the s and p shells.

  1. For a given set of orbitals, each of the orbitals will be singly occupied with an electron before becoming doubly occupied.

  2. When there are unpaired electrons, it is more favorable for them to have the same spin rather than opposite spins.

Orbitals can hold either a single electron or two electons with opposite spin.

The s shells have a single slot.

The p shells have 3 orbitals. The first three electrons each occupy a separate orbital and all have parallel spins. The next 3 electrons pair up with opposite spin.

The d shells have 5 orbitals. The 3d and 4s shells fill up in some order.

The order in which orbitals are populated.

  1. 1s

  2. 2s 2p

  3. 3s 3p

  4. 4s 3d 4p

  5. 5s 4d 5p

  6. 6s 4f 5d 6p

  7. 7s 5f 6d 7p

Some atoms break the rules as it is a lower energy state to move an electron. The Noble metals 'borrow' an electron from the outer s shell to fill up the d shell.

\[_{29}Cu\: [Ar]3d^{10}4s^1 \\ _{47}Ag\: [Kr]4d^{10}5s^1 \\ _{79}Au\: [Xe]5d^{10}6s^1\]

Ions

Hydrogen can have \(H^-\) and \(H^+\) ions by adding or subtracting an election from the 1s orbital.

Helium can’t have a \(He^+\) ion becuse the nucleus can’t hold an electron in the 2s orbital.

Lithium is like Hydrogen and can have both positive and negative ions.

Berylium can’t have a \(Be^+\) ion becuse the nucleus can’t hold an electron in the 2p orbital.

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