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Transition Metals

Shapes of Complex Ions and Stereoisomerism

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 3

Overview

Octahedral, tetrahedral, square planar and linear shapes, and the cis-trans and optical isomerism they allow.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Why can an octahedral complex containing three bidentate ligands, such as [Cr(en)₃]³⁺ where en is 1,2-diaminoethane, exhibit optical isomerism?

Key term

What shapes can complex ions with coordination number 4 adopt?

Key term

What type of stereoisomerism can occur in octahedral complexes?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What shapes can complex ions with coordination number 6 adopt?

    Model answer

    Octahedral

  2. 2

    What shapes can complex ions with coordination number 4 adopt?

    Model answer

    Tetrahedral or square planar

  3. 3

    What type of stereoisomerism can occur in square planar complexes?

    Model answer

    Cis-trans isomerism

  4. 4

    What type of stereoisomerism can occur in octahedral complexes?

    Model answer

    Cis-trans isomerism and optical isomerism

  5. 5

    In cis-trans isomerism of square planar complexes, what defines the cis isomer?

    Model answer

    Two identical ligands are adjacent to each other (on the same side)

  6. 6

    In cis-trans isomerism of square planar complexes, what defines the trans isomer?

    Model answer

    Two identical ligands are opposite each other (on opposite sides)

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