Textbook Question
(c) Hydrogen peroxide is sold commercially as an aqueous solution in brown bottles to protect it from light. Calculate the longest wavelength of light that has sufficient energy to break the weakest bond in hydrogen peroxide.
Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding
Chapter 8, Problem 102
One scale for electronegativity is based on the concept that the electronegativity of any atom is proportional to the ionization energy of the atom minus its electron affinity: electronegativity = k(I - EA), where k is a proportionality constant. (d) Use your result from part (c) to determine the electronegativities of Cl and O using this scale. (e) Another scale for electronegativity defines electronegativity as the average of an atom’s first ionization energy and its electron affinity. Using this scale, calculate the electronegativities for the halogens, and scale them so that fluorine has an electronegativity of 4.0. On this scale, what is Br’s electronegativity?
Verified step by step guidance1
To determine the electronegativities of Cl and O using the first scale, use the formula: , where is the ionization energy and is the electron affinity. Substitute the values for Cl and O into this equation.
For the second scale, calculate the electronegativity using the formula: . This gives the average of the ionization energy and electron affinity for each halogen.
To scale the electronegativities so that fluorine has a value of 4.0, determine the scaling factor by dividing 4.0 by the calculated electronegativity of fluorine using the second scale.
Apply the scaling factor to the calculated electronegativities of each halogen to adjust them to the new scale where fluorine is 4.0.
Finally, use the adjusted electronegativity value for bromine to determine its electronegativity on the new scale.
Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Electronegativity
Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons when forming chemical bonds. It is a key concept in understanding how atoms interact in molecules, influencing bond polarity and molecular structure. Different scales exist to quantify electronegativity, with values often ranging from 0 to 4, where higher values indicate a stronger attraction for electrons.
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Electronegativity Trends
Ionization Energy
Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an isolated atom in its gaseous state. It reflects how tightly an atom holds onto its electrons; higher ionization energy indicates a stronger hold. This property is crucial for determining an atom's electronegativity, as it directly influences the atom's ability to attract additional electrons.
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01:19Ionization Energy
Electron Affinity
Electron affinity is the amount of energy released when an electron is added to a neutral atom in the gas phase. It indicates how much an atom 'wants' to gain an electron, with more negative values signifying a greater tendency to accept an electron. This concept is essential for calculating electronegativity, as it complements ionization energy in determining an atom's overall electron-attracting ability.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
The electron affinity of oxygen is -141 kJ/mol, corresponding to the reaction O(g) + e- → O-(g). The lattice energy of K2O(s) is 2238 kJ/mol. Use these data along with data in Appendix C and Figure 7.10 to calculate the 'second electron affinity' of oxygen, corresponding to the reaction O-(g) + e- → O2-(g)
Textbook Question
One scale for electronegativity is based on the concept that the electronegativity of any atom is proportional to the ionization energy of the atom minus its electron affinity: electronegativity = k1I - EA2, where k is a proportionality constant. (b) Why are both ionization energy and electron affinity relevant to the notion of electronegativity?
Textbook Question
One scale for electronegativity is based on the concept that the electronegativity of any atom is proportional to the ionization energy of the atom minus its electron affinity: electronegativity = k1I - EA2, where k is a proportionality constant. (c) By using data in Chapter 7, determine the value of k that would lead to an electronegativity of 4.0 for F under this definition.
Textbook Question
One scale for electronegativity is based on the concept that the electronegativity of any atom is proportional to the ionization energy of the atom minus its electron affinity: electronegativity = k1I - EA2, where k is a proportionality constant. (d) Use your result from part (c) to determine the electronegativities of Cl and O using this scale. Use your result to determine the electronegativity of Cl using this scale.