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Transition Metals

Coordination number, monodentate ligands and the shapes of complexes

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 3

Overview

Coordination number, water, hydroxide ions and ammonia as monodentate ligands, octahedral complexes with 90° bond angles, tetrahedral complexes with chloride ions at 109.5°, and square planar complexes such as cisplatin.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Process

Why are transition metal complexes coloured?

Key term

Explain why hydroxide ions act as monodentate ligands.

Key term

Define coordination number.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Define coordination number.

    Model answer

    The number of dative bonds from ligands to the central metal ion in a complex.

  2. 2

    Define a monodentate ligand.

    Model answer

    A ligand that forms one dative bond to the central metal ion using one lone pair of electrons.

  3. 3

    Explain why water acts as a monodentate ligand.

    Model answer

    Water has lone pairs on the oxygen atom that can form one dative bond to a metal ion.

  4. 4

    Explain why hydroxide ions act as monodentate ligands.

    Model answer

    Hydroxide ions have lone pairs on the oxygen atom that can form one dative bond to a metal ion.

  5. 5

    Explain why ammonia acts as a monodentate ligand.

    Model answer

    Ammonia has a lone pair on the nitrogen atom that can form one dative bond to a metal ion.

  6. 6

    What shape do complexes with coordination number 6 adopt, and what are the bond angles?

    Model answer

    Octahedral shape with bond angles of 90°.

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