JCE Online Journal of Chemical EducationDivision of Chemical Education, American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical Society
 | Subscriptions  | Software Orders  | Support  | Contributors  | Advertisers  | 

JCE Print
   Current Issue
 Previous Issues
 Supplements
 Search JCE Index

JCE Digital Library
   ChemInfo
 DigiDemos
 Featured Molecules
 LivTexts
 LrnCom
 QBank
 SymMath
 WebWare

JCE Software
   Latest Releases
 Software & Video
 Downloads
 Support

Only@JCE Online
   JCE Online Store
 JCE HS CLIC
 JCE Discussion Forums
   Biographical Snapshots
 ChemEd Resource Shelf
 Featured Molecules
 Hal's Picks
 Project Chemlab
 Reviewed WWW Sites
 "Web-Ed" Articles

About JCE
   Features
 Publications
 Operations
 Outreach
 Contact Us


  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2007  > April  >
In the Classroom
Molecular Modeling Exercises and Experiments
Predicting the Stability of Hypervalent Molecules
Tracy A. Mitchell, Debbie Finocchio, and Jeremy Kua
Department of Chemistry, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110
Cover
April 2007
Vol. 84 No. 4
p. 629
Abstract
In this exercise, students use concepts in thermochemistry such as bond energy, ionization potentials, and electron affinities to predict the relative stability of two hypervalent molecules (PF5 and PH5) relative to their respective non-hypervalent counterparts. Students will use experimental data from the Internet as well as collected data from their own computer calculations. A novel part of this exercise is to predict a priori if a hypervalent molecule should be stable based only on information gathered from stable non-hypervalent molecules. In addition, students will see how resonance structures can successfully describe bonding in hypervalent molecules without exceeding the octet rule.
Supplement
Student handout, an alternative version of the exercise, and further discussion of the approximations are available.
*
 Download
Contents
  JCE2007p0629W.pdf
 
JCE2007p0629W.zip
Folder JCE2007p0629W containing JCE2007p0629W_1.doc and JCE2007p0629W_2.doc (Microsoft Word).
More Information
*
Citation
Mitchell, Tracy A.; Finocchio, Debbie; Kua, Jeremy. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 629.
*
Keywords
Computational Chemistry; Computer-Based Learning; Covalent Bonding; First-Year Undergraduate / General; Inorganic Chemistry; Ionic Bonding; Lewis Structures; Molecular Modeling; Physical Chemistry; Second-Year Undergraduate; Upper-Division Undergraduate
*
History
Created:
Last Updated:
3/6/2007
3/8/2007
<< Previous Article Table of Contents Next Article >>
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2007  > April  > Page 629


Subscriptions
 Subscription Info
 Order Forms

JCE HS CLIC

Our Secondary School editors work hard to distill all the JCE materials to produce a fraction of particular interest to high school teachers. We call it CLIC.
 JCE HS CLIC

Contributions Welcome
JCE welcomes your submission
 Contributors' Corner

Advertisers
In recent years we have worked hard to better match our advertisers with our readers. When shopping for chemistry education materials, visit our advertisers' WWW sites first.
 Recent Advertisers

Be An Ambassador
Take JCE along on your outreach missions. Copies of the Journal, guest access to JCE Online, our publications catalog, and more are available for your participants.
 Outreach with JCE

Comments to
jceonline@chem.wisc.edu		 Copyright © Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society.
All rights reserved.