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Amines

Colour and delocalisation

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit A2 2

Overview

Recall questions on why a compound is coloured and which electrons are promoted, how the extent of delocalisation sets the energy gap and the wavelength absorbed, why benzene is colourless but an azo compound is not, what a chromophore is, why an indicator changes colour with pH, methyl orange as the worked example, and complementary colour.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Which electrons are promoted in an organic dye?

Key term

How does the extent of delocalisation affect the energy gap between electron energy levels in a dye?

Key term

How does a smaller energy gap change the light absorbed?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Why is a compound coloured?

    Model answer

    It absorbs some wavelengths of visible light and the colour seen is the light that is transmitted or reflected.

  2. 2

    What happens to the energy of the absorbed light?

    Model answer

    It promotes an electron from a lower to a higher electronic energy level.

  3. 3

    Which electrons are promoted in an organic dye?

    Model answer

    The delocalised π electrons of the conjugated system.

  4. 4

    How does the extent of delocalisation affect the energy gap?

    Model answer

    The more extensive the delocalisation, the closer together the energy levels become and the smaller the gap.

  5. 5

    How does a smaller energy gap change the light absorbed?

    Model answer

    Less energy is needed for the transition, so light of longer wavelength and lower frequency is absorbed.

  6. 6

    Why does an extensively conjugated compound absorb in the visible region?

    Model answer

    Its energy gap has fallen far enough that visible rather than ultraviolet light supplies the energy needed.

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