Topic 1.3: Structure and bonding
Return to AS
and A2 GCE chemistry
1.3(a) Understand the nature of ionic, covalent and dative covalent bonds
and the simple charge cloud representation of s
and p bonds.
Ionic bonds
Ionic (or electrovalent) Bonding is formed by the transfer
of electrons. For example the sodium atom has one electron on its outer
shell, the chlorine atom has seven electrons on its outer shell. During
ionic bonding the sodium ion transfers its outer electron to the chlorine
atom, and becomes a Na+ ion with the stable configuration of
an inert gas. At this time the chlorine atom gains the transferred electron
and so forms a Cl- ion also with an inert gas configuration.
This results in electrostatic attraction between the new ions of
the compound, and so ionic bonds are formed.
-
MgO, CaF2 and Li2O are other examples of compounds that
use ionic bonding.
Task 1.3a.1 Draw dot and cross diagrams for these examples.
LiF, KF, LiCl, NaF, MgCl2, AlF3, MgO, MgS, Na2O,
CaF2 and Li2O, Al2O3.
-
Ionic size (radii) depends on: Principal quantum number of outer
shell. Higher number, bigger ion. K+
bigger than Na+.
- Nuclear charge. Higher charge, smaller ion. Mg (+12
charge) smaller than Na (+11 charge)
-
Strength of ionic bonds: Ionic
radii - small ions, strong bonds. Ionic charge - high charge, strong
bonds.
- Direction: Ionic bonds are non-directional
and have equal influence in all directions
Covalent
bonds.
-
Covalent bonding involves
atoms of non-metals completing their outer shells by sharing pairs of electrons. E.g.
the hydrogen atom has one electron in its outer shell. Within the hydrogen
molecule, (H2) each atom contributes one electron to the bond.
Consequently each hydrogen atom now has control of 2 electrons, one of its
own and a second from the other atom, giving it the configuration of an
inert gas (He).
Task 1.3a.2 Draw dot and cross diagrams to show the bonding
in HF, F2, NH3, CH4, H2O,
F2O,
CHCl3, O2,CO2, C2H4, C2H2.
Dative
covalent bonds.
-
Dative covalent bonding.
Normally each atom contributes 1 electron to a covalent bond. In a dative
covalent bond, 1 atom contributes both electrons to the covalent bond.
For a dative covalent bond, an arrow replaces the straight line.
This hydrated magnesium ion has 6 coordinate (dative covalent) bonds formed by the lone pairs on
each of the 6 surrounding water molecules.
H
|
H--N->H
|
H
Task 1.3a.3 Draw dot and cross diagrams
to show the bonding in NH4Cl and NH3AlCl3.
Charge Cloud Representation
Bonding orbitals are molecular orbitals formed by the
bonding of two or more atoms. Common bonds are between s, p, sp3
hybrid or sp2 hybrid orbitals.
There are two types:- 1) Sigma s
and 2) Pi p
1) A Sigma bond or a Sigma molecular orbital is formed
by the single overlap of 2 s-orbitals, 2 p-orbitals or s and p orbitals
overlapping, these are shown in the diagrams below.

=(Sigma)
s bond.



= (Pi)
p bond.
Task 3.1a.4 Draw lines to show bonds
and identify the sigma and pi bonds in the following:
CHCl3, O2,CO2, C2H4, C2H2.
1.3(b)Understand the intermediate nature of most bonds in terms of (i)Electronegativity
differences leading to polarity in bonds.
(ii)Polarising power of cations
and polarisibilty of anions and the factors affecting these.
(i) Electronegativity
Electronegativity of
an element is the power of one of its atoms in a molecule to attract electrons
to itself. Electronegativity increases as you go across a period from left
to right and also as you go up a group from bottom to top, making fluorine
an extremely electronegative element.
Bond
Polarity
If a pair of electrons in a covalent bond are unequally
shared, bond polarisation has taken place. e.g. Hydrogen chloride has a polar
bond d+
H-ClD-
Task 3.1bi.1 Identify the most
electronegative elements in these sets: carbon or nitrogen, oxygen or fluorine,
chlorine or fluorine, bromine or iodine
Task 3.1bi.2 Identify the bonds which will be polar in the following
molecules: H2, HCl, CH4, CH3Cl, HF, F2,
H2O, H2S.
(ii) The Polarisation of ions
Not all ionic bonds are completely ionic. The cation
(+ve) may pull electrons from the anion (-ve).
Factors
affecting polarisation of ions
-
Large anion : distant electrons
less firmly held.
-
Small cation : high charge density
-
Highly charged cation : high charge density.
-
easily polarised anions : Chloride-, Bromide-,
Iodide-.
-
highly polarising cations : Lithium+, Berylium2+,
Aluminium 3+.
Task 1.3bii.1 Select the most easily
polarised anion and give a reason for the following pairs: bromide and chloride,
chloride and iodide, bromide and iodide.
Task 1.3ii.2 Select the cation with the best polarising power and
give a reason for: sodium and magnesium, aluminium and lithium, lithium and
sodium, potassium and sodium.
1.3 (c)Understand that polar bonds may give rise to polar molecules.
The covalent bond in HCl
is polar. This bond has a dipole moment shown by the sign:
In this case the whole molecule has a dipole moment so
HCl is a polar molecule; a dipole. Water is also a polar molecule.
The dipole moments for each O-H bond add to give water an overall dipole moment
in one direction.
Carbon
dioxide has equal and opposite dipole moments which cancel out,
therefore CO2 is not a polar molecule. Tetrachloromethane,
CCl4, is also not a polar molecule as it is symmetrical.
Symmetrical molecules tend not to be polar, a symmetrical tend to be polar.
Sort the following as polar or non-polar molecules: Cl2, HBr, CHCl3,
BF3, BeCl2, H2S, H2O, NH3,
SF6.
1.3 (d) Understand the nature of intermolecular forces, resulting
from interactions between permanent dipoles and induced dipoles and from the
formation of hydrogen
bonds.
Van der Waal’s Forces
These are weak attractive forces between atoms and molecules.
Responsible for non-ideal behaviour of gases and for the lattice energy
of molecular crystals. They are caused by;
-
Electrostatic attractions between two molecules with permanent
dipoles.
-
Induced dipole interactions, when the dipole of one molecule
polarises a neighbouring molecule.
-
Dispersion forces arising because of small temporary
dipoles in atoms.
b and c are temporary dipoles. These forces exist for any molecule
and are greater if there is a greater number of electrons presentHydrogen bond
This is a very strong dipole-dipole force as hydrogen
has a very high charge density (whenever hydrogen is joined to an electronegative
element (E.g. F, N, and O)). (It is a bare proton). E.g
hydrogen bonds are found in H-F.
Task 1.3d Name the bonding between
the following molecule pairs. CH4 and C2H6, H2O
and H2O, CO and CH4, CO2 and NH3, HF
and H2O, CO and Cl2O.
(e) Show how these various
types of bond give rise to giant atomic structures (eg diamond and graphite),
hydrogen bonded molecular structures (eg ice), ionic structures (eg sodium chloride),
simple molecular structures (e.g. iodine) and polymers (eg poly(ethene))
and how the properties of solids are related to their structure and bonding.
Simple molecular
structures.
| substance |
density/gcm-3 |
melting point/K |
electrical conductivity |
| O2
|
1.15 at 90K |
55 |
very low |
|
H2
|
0.07 at 20K |
14 |
very low |
| S2
|
2.0 |
390 |
very low |
| CH4
|
0.46 |
91 |
very low |
| I2
|
4.93 |
387 |
very low |
-
Strong covalent bonds between atoms in molecules.
-
Weak Van der Waals’ forces between
molecules.
-
Low melting points and boiling
points because of weak forces between molecules. They require very
little energy to be broken; therefore we have melting points and boiling
points at low temperatures.
-
Brittle (elements) because
the weak forces between the molecules are unable to withstand a large external
force.
-
Electrical insulators because
there are no charged particles to carry the charge.
-
Often insoluble in water,
especially the non-polar molecules. There is little interaction between
polar water molecules and non-polar molecules. The exceptions are polar
molecules.
-
Low density because molecules are
not pulled strongly together in solids or liquids and many are gases in which
particles are far apart.
Task
1.3e.1
Ionic
structures.
Caesium
chloride
Sodium Chloride
6:6
co-ordination: each chloride ion has 6 sodium ions as it’s nearest
neighbours. Each sodium ion is also surrounded by six chloride ions as
it’s nearest neighbours. The electrostatic forces holding the ions in place
are not directional. mp = 1081K, density = 2.17gcm-3
All ionic compounds:
-
Have high melting points and
boiling points and are solids at room temperature because each ion
is held firmly in place by strong ionic electrostatic forces.
-
Have densities higher than water but much lower than
typical metals. Although efficiently packed there is some empty space
between ions.
-
Are often soluble in water
because polar H2O molecules are attracted to ions and the attractive
forces of many H2O molecules can pull ions away from their crystal
structures.

-
Do not conduct electricity
while solid as no particles are free to carry the charge.
‚
-
Conduct electricity when molten
or in a solution as the ions are free to carry the charge.
Giant
atomic structures.
The
structure of Diamond.
-
It is hard and has a very high
melting point and boiling point because each atom is held firmly in place
by 4 strong, short, covalent bonds and a lot of energy is required to break
these strong bonds.
-
Doesn’t conduct electricity even
when molten as no charged particles to carry charge.
-
Insoluble in water as forces between
solvent and carbon atoms are too weak.
-
Thermal conductor as rigid structure
allows heat to be passed through vibrations.
-
High density (3.51gcm-3)
because atoms are packed tightly together.
Task 1.3e.2
The
structure of graphite.
Graphite is soft as there
are weak bonds between layers, thus allowing layers to slide over each
other. (Large distances between layers imply weak bonds.) ‚
Graphite has a high melting
point and boiling point as 3 strong covalent bonds hold each atom in place.
Graphite conducts heat and
electricity in one direction due to delocalised electrons between the layers.
Low density (2.25gcm-3)
because the layers are far apart.
Hydrogen bonded
molecular structures
H2O, NH3, Hydrogen bonds
between molecules are stronger than other intermolecular forces. So water
has a higher melting temperature than expected and is a liquid and not a gas.
These are all electrical insulators as there are no charged particles to carry
current.
The
Structure of ice.
Ice has a molecular structure but
unusual properties, e.g. it solid has a lower density than its liquid.
Water
is at its maximum density at 4oC. Four hydrogen bonds, two through
its hydrogen atoms and two through its oxygen atoms hold each water molecule
in place. On melting, many hydrogen bonds are broken and the structure
collapses to give a lower volume liquid. Water expands on freezing so ice
floats as it has a lower density than water.
The
structure of polymers.
Low electrical conductivity as there are no charged
particles to carry current.
Branched
chain.
Low density. Low melting
point. Chains further apart. Van der Waal’s forces between
the tips of the branches are weaker because fewer electrons are involved.
Linear
chain.
High density. High relative
melting point. Chains (molecules) close together. Van der Waal’s
forces along full length of chain pulls chains together.
Task 13.e.3 Draw linear and branched chain structures for
polychloroethene, state their properties and explain the differences.
1.3 (f)Understand the existence of interparticle forces in the liquid state
and hence explain the trends in the boiling temperatures of the noble gases and
the hydrides of the
elements of Groups 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Trends
in boiling points of noble gases and group 4 hydrides
There
is a fairly regular increase in boiling points as the atomic number increases.
The boiling temperatures depend on Van der Waals forces between single atoms or
between hydride molecules. These forces depend on the number of electrons. The
number of electrons increases with atomic number and therefore the strength of the Van
der Waals forces increases which means more energy is required to
break the bonds.
Trends
in boiling points of group 5,6 and 7 hydrides
The
boiling temperatures of the hydrides of these groups also increase as you go
down the group. There is one exception. The element at the top of the group
has a higher boiling temperature and doesn’t seem to fit the pattern. The
increased boiling tempertures of the first hydride in each group is because
the first element in each group is highly electronegative and therefore
they form hydrogen bonds that are difficult to break. For this reason the
boiling temperatures are higher.
(g)To interpret changes of state in terms of the types, motion
and arrangement of particles (atoms, molecules and ions) present and explain
associated energy changes.
Solid:
Fixed shape. Volume is hardly affected by temperature and pressure.
Solids contains ordered arrangements of:
single atoms in a giant structure
e.g. a metal,
ions in a giant structure
e.g. sodium chloride
atoms joined together in a
giant structure e.g. diamond
molecules in a simple molecular
structure
All particles are in fixed
positions but do vibrate. The amount of vibrational energy increases
as the temperature increases. Energy is absorbed to move particles
apart. Separation distances in solids give particles the minimum energy
possible (most stable)
Liquid:
Shape of container but otherwise spherical. Finite volume.
Less compressible than a gas.
In a solid particles may only
vibrate about a fixed position but in a liquid, they may also rotate and
translation is also possible. In
a liquid, particles also move from place to place although not as freely
as in a gas. There is greater disorder in the liquid but some order is
retained and particles
have higher energies.
Gas:
Takes shape
of container. Volume greatly affected by pressure and temperature.
The energy of gas particles is much greater than for liquid particles and
the separation is also much greater. The kinetic theory describes
the behaviour of particles in a gas. Much energy is needed to vaporise a
liquid.
-
The spherical particles are in
constant random motion.
-
The particles are constantly colliding.
Collisions are perfectly elastic, so energy through collisions is all given
off (no energy is lost).
-
There are no forces between the
particles, except during collisions.
-
The particles are tiny compared
to the distance of separation.
-
The time taken for the collision
is very short compared to the time between each collision.
Melting - endothermic (energy taken in)
simple molecular structures: Weak Van der Waals forces between atoms or
molecules so little energy needed to melt hence low melting temperatures.
hydrogen bonded molecular structures: Hydrogen bonds much stronger so more
energy and higher melting temperatures needed.
Giant ionic structures: Strong electrostatic attractions between each ion and
many other ions of opposite charge require much energy to melt hence high
melting temperatures.
Giant atomic structures: Each atom held firmly by strong covalent bonds with no
simple molecules. Much energy needed to melt these structures and hence
high melting temperatures.
Boiling - endothermic
With much of the bonding disrupted the difference between melting temperatures
and boling temperatures is relatively small.
freezing - exothermic (energy taken in)
condensation - exothermic
(h) Recall the shapes of the following molecules and ions; BeCl2
CO2 HCl SO2 H2O BCl3 NH4+
CH4 NH3 SO32- CO32-
NO3- PCl5 SF6
| molecule |
shape wrt negative centres |
shape wrt atoms |
bonds and lone pairs around central atom |
| BeCl2 |
linear |
linear |
2 single bonds |
| CO2 |
linear |
linear |
2 double bonds |
| HCl |
tetrahedral |
linear |
1 single bond, 3 lone pairs |
| SO2 |
trigonal planar |
bent |
2 double bonds, 1 lone pair |
| H2O |
tetrahedral |
bent |
2 single bonds, 2 lone pairs |
| BCl3 |
trigonal planar |
trigonal planar |
3 single bonds |
| NH4+ |
tetrahedral |
tetrahedral |
3 single bonds, 1 coordinate bond |
| CH4 |
tetrahedral |
tetrahedral |
4 single bonds |
| NH3 |
tetrahedral |
pyramidal |
3 single bonds, 1 lone pair |
| SO32- |
tetrahedral |
pyramidal |
1 double, 2 coordinate, 1 lone pair |
| CO32- |
trigonal planar |
trigonal planar |
2 single bonds, 1 double bond |
| NO3- |
trigonal planar |
trigonal planar |
2 double bonds, 1 single bond |
| PCl5 |
trigonal bipyramidal |
trigonal bipyramidal |
5 single bonds |
| SF6 |
octahedral |
octahedral |
6 single bonds |
Task 1.3h.1 Draw diagrams to show
the bonding in all of the above species.
Task 1.3h.2 Draw diagrams to show the shapes of the above species.
Story 1.3h Trainer SF6 Climate Change Danger
1.3 (i) Interpret the shapes in (h) in terms of the valence
shell electron pair repulsion theory, and predict shapes of related molecules
and ions (eg from a knowledge of NH3 the shape of PH3 can
be predicted
2 pairs linear angle = 180o
3 pairs trigonal planar BCl3
4 pairs tetrahedral angle =
109.5o CH4
NH3 NH4+
(or bent)
5 pairs trigonal bipyramidal
6 pairs octahedral (or square planar)
In a molecule, pairs of electrons create negative centres
that surround the central atom. These negative
centres repel each other and arrange themselves to be as far apart as possible,
thus minimising repulsion. Lone pairs repel more strongly than bonding pairs of
electrons therefore a lone pair distorts the shape of a molecule.
Phosporous has 5 outer electrons just like nitrogen so PH3
will have four electron pairs and be tetrahedral with respect to electron pairs like NH3.
Also like ammonia, PH3 has a lone pair which generates more repulsion
than bonding pairs of electrons. The shape of PH3 is therefore
distorted tetrahedral.
Task 1.3i Predict and draw the shape for the
following molecules or ions: BeF2, SeO2, SCl6,
H2S, AlCl3, SiCl4, PF5, PO3-,
SiO32-, Cl2O.
1.3 (j)Describe metallic bonding and explain (a) the electrical conductivity
of metals and graphite in terms of mobility of electrons (b) the melting points
and melting points of metals
Metallic bonds hold the atoms
together in a solid metal or alloy. In metals, the atoms are said have
positive ions occupying the lattice positions and thus leaving delocalised
electrons to move freely through the lattice. The free electrons, able
to move in any direction explain the electrical conductivity of the metals
as they can transfer the charge.
Metals generally have high melting points. This is because each atom is
held strongly in place by strong metallic bonds. The boiling points are
often very much higher because the forces between atoms still exist even when
the metal has melted. Much energy is needed to move the metal atoms far
apart to form a gas.
Graphite has layers of strongly
bonded carbon atoms. The layers are stacked and joined together by weak
bonds between the layers. Between the stacked layers there are delocalised
electrons which can transfer electricity. This allows electricity to be
conducted along the length of carbon planes but electricity can not be
conducted across the layers because the electrons are localised inside each layers.