Fundamentals of Bonding

5.1 For the following atoms, write the complete electron configuration and identify which of the
electrons will be involved in bond formation:
(a) N
(b) S
(c) Be
(d) Br.
5.2 Describe bond formation between a hydrogen atom and an broine atom to form a molecule of
HBr, and include a diagram of the overlapping orbitals.
5.3 Give the group number and the number of valence electrons for the following elements:
(a) boron
(b) phosphorus
(c) iodine
(d) tin.
5.4 For each of the following pairs, identify which element tends to attract electron density from the
other in a covalent bond:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

C and N
O and H
Zn and I
P and Ga.

5.5 Show the direction of bond polarity for the following bonds using +/- notation:
(a) Si N
(b) O C
(c) Br F
(d) C P.
5.6 Arrange the following molecules in order of increasing bond polarity: H2Se, AsH3, PH3 and H2S.

Ionic Bonding
5.7 From the following list, select the elements that form ionic compounds: Ba, B, Cu, Rb, Cl and V.
Indicate whether each forms a stable cation or a stable anion.

Lewis Structures
5.10 Count the total number of valence electrons in the following species:
(a) H2PO4(b) (C6H5)3CH (c)
(NH2)2CO
(d) HSO4-.

5.11 Convert the following formulae into molecular frameworks. For each molecule, calculate how
many valence electrons are required to construct the framework:
(a) (CH3)3CBr
(b) (CH3CH2CH2)2NH
(c) HClO3
(d) OP(OCH3)3.
5.12 Determine the Lewis structures of:
(a) NH3
(b) NH+
4
(c) H2N-.
5.13 Determine the Lewis structures of:
(a) PBr3
(b) SiF4
(c) BF4
5.14 Use the standard procedures to determine the Lewis structures of:
(a) H3CNH2
(b) CF2Cl2
(c) OF2.
5.15 Determine the Lewis structures of:
(a) IF5
(b) SO3
(c) OPCl3
(d) XeF2.
5.16 Determine the Lewis structure of each of the following polyatomic ions. Include all
resonance structures and formal charges where appropriate.
(a) NO - 3
(b) HSO4 (c) CO32(d) ClO2 -

Valence-shell-electron-pair repulsion (VSEPR) Theory

5.17 Sketch the following molecular shapes and give the various bond angles in the structures:
(a) trigonal planar,
(b) tetrahedral,
(c) octahedral.
5.18 Sketch and name the shapes of the following molecules:
(a) CH2Cl2
(b) BF4
(c) PBr3.

5.19 Draw a ball-and-stick model that shows the geometry of 1,2-dichloroethane, ClH2CCH2Cl.
5.20 Write the Lewis structure of dimethylamine, (CH3)2NH. Determine its geometry.
5.21 Iodine forms three compounds with chlorine:
(a) IF
(b) IF3
(c) IF5.
Determine the Lewis structure, describe the shape and draw a ball-and-stick model of
each compound.
5.22 Determine the molecular shape and the ideal bond angles for each of the following:
(a) SO2
(b) SbF5
(c) ClF +
4
(d) ICl4-.

Properties of Covalent Bonds

5.23 Determine the Lewis structures of the following compounds, and determine which have dipole
moments. For each molecule that has a dipole moment, draw a ball-and-stick model and
include an arrow to indicate the direction of the dipole moment.
(a) SiF4
(b) H2S
(c) XeF2
(d) GaCl3
(e) NF3
5.24 Carbon dioxide has no dipole moment, but sulfur dioxide has = 5.44 x 10-30 C m. Use
Lewis structures to account for this difference in dipole moments.
5.25 Which of the following molecules would you expect to have bond angles that deviate from the
ideal VSEPR values? For the molecules that do, make sketches that illustrate the deviations.
(a) PCl5
(b) CH3I
(c) ICl5
5.26 Arrange the following bonds in order of increasing bond strength (weakest first).
List the single most important factor for each successive increase in strength.
C

C, HN, C

O, N

N and CC

Valence Bond Theory

5.27 Describe the bonding between iodine and chlorine atoms in the mixed halogen ICl.
5.28 Describe the bonding between hydrogen and fluorine atoms in HF and include a picture of
the overlapping orbitals.
5.29 The bond angles in antimony trifluoride are 87. Describe the bonding in SbF3, including a
picture of the orbital overlap interaction that creates the Sb-F bonds.

5.30 Determine the hybridisation of an inner atom in a molecule that has each of the
following characteristics:
(a) 2 lone pairs and 2 ligands
(b) 3 ligands and 1 lone pair
(c) 3 ligands and no lone pairs.
5.31 Name the hybrid orbitals formed by combining each of the following sets of atomic orbitals:
(a) 2s and three 2p orbitals
(b) 3s and two 3p orbital.
5.32 Identify the hybridisation of the bolded atom in each of the following species:
(a) (CH3)2NH
(b) SO2
(c) CS2.
5.33 Describe the bonding in the chloroform molecule, CHCl3. Sketch an orbital overlap
diagram of the molecule.
5.34 Describe the bonding in the hydrazine molecule, H2NNH2. Sketch an orbital overlap
diagram of the molecule.
5.35 Describe the bonding in the common solvent acetone, (CH3)2CO, and include sketches
of all the bonding orbitals.

5.36 The carbon compounds penta-1,4-diene, pent-1-yne and cyclopentene all have the molecular
formula C5H8. Use the number of sets of electron pairs and hybridisation to develop bonding
pictures of these three molecules.
(a)

(b)

(c)

5.37 Decide if the following pairs of orbitals overlap to form a a bond, rr bond, or no bond at all.
Explain your reasoning in each case, including a sketch of the orbitals. Assume the bond
lies along the z-axis.
(a) 2pz and 2pz
(b) 2py and 2px
(c) sp3 and 2pz
(d) 2py and 2py

Molecular Orbital Theory: Diatomic Molecules

5.38 Use molecular orbital diagrams to rank the bond energies of the following diatomic species
from weakest to strongest: H2, H2- and H2
5.39 Which of N2 or N2 + has the stronger bond? Use orbital configurations to justify your selection.
5.40 For each of the following interactions between orbitals of two different atoms, sketch the
resulting molecular orbitals. Assume that the nuclei lie along the z-axis, and include at least
two coordinate axes in your drawing. Label each MO as bonding or antibonding and or .
(a) 2s and 2pz
(b) 2px and 2px
5.41 Below is an illustration showing two 3d orbitals about to overlap. The drawings also show
the algebraic signs of the wavefunctions for both orbitals in this combination. Will this
combination of orbitals produce a bonding or an antibonding MO?