Compounds Materials Needed • Modeling clay (3-5 different colors depending on the number of atoms needed) • Toothpicks Experiment Guide Follow steps A – G for each of the molecules or polyatomic ions listed on the report form. A. Number of Valence Electrons in a Molecule or Polyatomic Ion Use a periodic table to determine the number of valence electrons for each group of atoms in the first column of the report form. Example: SiF4 Si is n Group 4A, it has 4 valence electrons F is in Group 7A, it has 7 valence electrons Total valence electrons are 4 + 4(7) = 32 electrons If the group is a polyatomic ion, total the electrons as above, then add one electron for each negative charge or subtract one electron for each positive charge. Example: CO32- C is in Group 4A, it has 4 valence electrons O is in Group 6A, it has 6 valence electrons Ion has a –2 charge, add 2 electrons Total valence electrons are 4 + 3(6) + 2 = 24 electrons B. Lewis Structure for Molecules and Polyatomic Ions Use the following rules to show the two-dimensional Lewis structure for each molecule or polyatomic ion. Put your structure in the space provided. Use a sharp pencil and be as neat as possible. 1. Write down the skeletal arrangement of the atoms and connect them with a single covalent bond (a short line). We want to keep the rules at a minimum for this step, but we also want to avoid arrangements that later prove incorrect. Useful guidelines are: a. carbon is usually a central atom or forms bonds itself; if carbon is absent, the central atom is usually the least electronegative atom in the group. b. hydrogen, which has only one valence electron, can form only one covalent bond and is never a central atom; c. oxygen atoms are not normally bonded to each other except in peroxides and oxygen atoms normally have a maximum of two covalent bonds (two single bonds or one double bond). 2. Subtract two electrons from the total valence electrons for every single bond used in the skeletal arrangement. This calculation gives the net number of electrons available for completing the electron structure. In the examples above, there are 4 and 3 single bonds, respectively. With 2e- per bond the calculation is
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SiF4: 32 e- – 4(2 e-) = 24 e- left to be assigned to the molecule
CO32-: 24 e- – 3(2 e-) = 18 e- left to be assigned to the polyatomic ion 3. Distribute these remaining electrons as pairs of dots around each atom (except hydrogen) to give each atom a total of eight electrons around it. If there are not enough electrons available, move on to step 4. 4. Check each Lewis structure to determine if every atom except hydrogen has an octet of electrons. If there are not enough electrons to give each of these atoms eight electrons, change single bonds between atoms to double or triple bonds by shifting unshared pairs of electrons as needed. A double bond counts as 4 e- for each to which it is bonded.
C. Model Building Mold a ball using different colors of clay. These will serve as atoms of molecules or polyatomic ions listed on the table in the report form. Assign one colored molded ball of clay as the central atom. Use the barbeque sticks (pointed parts are cut off) for bonds (single, double, or triple). D. Molecular Geometry Look at your model from all angles and compare its structure to the list below. Then identify its molecular geometry from the following list and write the name of the geometric pattern on the report form in column C. 1. Tetrahedral 2. Trigonal pyramidal 3. Trigonal planar 4. Bent 5. Linear E. Central Bond Angles Fill in column D with the bond angles between the central atom and all atoms attached to it. For molecules with more than one central atom, give bond angles for each. For molecules without a central atom and hence no bond angle, write no central atom.
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F. Bond Polarity Bond polarity can be determined by looking up the electronegativity values for both atoms in the Electronegativity table below. In the E column of the report form, draw the symbols for both atoms involved in a bond and connect them with an arrow pointing toward the more electronegative atom. If there are several identical bonds it is only necessary to draw one. Use the following examples. N↚H S↛O G. Molecular Dipoles Look at the model and evaluate its symmetry. Decide if the polar bonds within it cancel each other around the central atom resulting in a nonpolar molecule or if they do not cancel one another and result in a dipole. Some examples:
symmetrical nonpolar asymmetrical dipole
Remember, it is also possible for all the polar bonds within a polyatomic ion to cancel each other so the resultant effect is nonpolar even though the group as a whole has a net charge.
Use your model and your knowledge of the bond polarity to determine if the molecule as a whole is nonpolar or a dipole. If it is polar, write dipole, and if it is not, write nonpolar.
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