SYNOPSIS
PREFACE
The object of this
book is to make the teaching of inorganic chemistry more effective. It enables
the readers to view inorganic chemistry from a higher pedestal.
The book deals with
the very simple things in inorganic chemistry. But, the very depth of those
simple things has been shown on a new scale in a simple style.
Things familiar to
the readers are either avoided or given in very small doses.
Care is taken, in
every chapter, to provide something different in style or content.
Though due attention has
been given to reduce the amount of factual materials, many pieces of useful
information have been given.
The problems given
at the end of some chapters may be dubbed as subjective, lacking in
discriminating power and even practicability. But, these problems aim at a
broad, humane and liberal education and an open book system of examination.
The method of
presentation consists, generally, in stating certain facts, interpreting them
theoretically, giving the solutions or throwing them open to the readers so
that they would also cogitate and come to a conclusion.
The highly
innovative treatment would create ripples in the mind of the readers and kindle
curiosity. It would stimulate independent and analytical thinking. To meet this
end, most of the chapters are written in an unconventional way. A few that are
conventional are quite complementary in nature. Hence, this book is an
unconventional approach to inorganic chemistry.
1
ATOMIC STRUCTURE
CHAPTER
1 - ATOMIC STRUCTURE (37
pages)- starts with Democritus and proceeds chronologically
through ‘hard’ atom model and ‘soft’ atom model. This chapter ends with Hofstadter and Murry Gell Mann.
It
is a non-mathematical treatment. The points familiar to the readers such as
Pauli exclusion principle are ignored. But the statements of prominent
scientists, and several comparisons -
such as “The atom changes its shape constantly. At one time it looks like an
egg which is oval in shape and at another time it looks like an omelette which
is flat.” - are given.
However, the meaning of Planck constant,
the similarity between matrix mechanics and wave mechanics, symmetry of the
orbitals, physical meaning + and – signs of the wave function and the reason
for the stability of the octet configuration are explained in words.
Experiment conducted by Daniel Walls and his colleagues at University of Auckland (1991) to demolish the argument of Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen
(EPR) is given.
The experiment conducted by David Pritchard from the Massachysetts Institute of Technology to isolate an atom and the
experiment of Stephen Chn to trap atom (1986) are given.
Further, there is an elementary treatment
of quarks and leptons (7 pages) and the nature of forces. The limitation of the Standard Model
also is discussed.
There is no comparison for this chapter in
any other book. The readers will be immensely benefitted by this chapter.
2
MOLECULAR ORBITALS
CHAPTER 2 - MOLECULAR ORBITALS (2 pages)- is to emphasize the importance of the pairing
of the spins of the electrons.
3
THE
COVALENT BOND
In CHAPTER 3 - THE COVALENT BOND (20 pages) - the basis for the balloon picture of
the hybridized orbital, the distinction between non –bonding orbitals and lone
pair electrons, the meaning of the multi-centric molecular orbitals and the
reason why the act of depositing two electrons in the inter-nuclear region
leads to lowering of energy are vividly discussed.
Works of D.R. Herchbach, Y.T. Lee and
J.C. Palanzc (1986) and the experiment conducted by Ahmed H. Zewail at the California
Institute of Technology (1998) also are given.
It
is a very useful chapter for those who study or handle Valence Bond Theory and
Molecular Orbital Theory.
About 50 percent of this chapter is
conventional but style somewhat different. The rest cannot be found in any
other book.
4
CALCIUM
CHLORIDE
CHAPTER 4 –
CALCIUM CHLORIDE (5 pages)- deals with the structure of CaCl2 molecule
(not solid CaCl2) with reference to the structures of BeCl2 (linear)
and BaCl2 (bent chain) molecules.
It gives an insight into the merits and limitations of the hybridization
theory and the VSEPR theory.
It is a unique approach.
5
ALUMINIUM
FLUORIDE
CHAPTER 5 - ALUMINIUM
FLUORIDE (4 pages) - deals with AlF3.
This can be included in chapter 16. However, due to its very high melting
point, a separate chapter has been allotted to it. Further, this chapter is a
prelude to chapter 6.
6
ATOMS, IONS, ENVIRONMENT AND REACTIVITY
CHAPTER 6 – ATOMS, IONS,
ENVIRONMENT AND REACTIVITY (25 pages)
- is an important one. Among other things, the relative effects of various factors
such as charge density, lattice, electro-negativity difference,
polarizability, size on rate of reaction have been illustrated. The chapter
ends with an important generalization.
7
DIAGONAL
RELATIONSHIP
In CHAPTER 7 – DIAGONAL
RELATIONSHIP (4
pages) - a new term has been introduced. This
term has been illustrated with examples.
8
AMMONIUM AND POTASSIUM
CHAPTER 8 – AMMONIUM AND POTASSIUM (4 pages) - deals with the thermal stability of the
potassium and ammonium ions.
9
STRENGTHS OF ACIDS
CHAPTER 9 – STRENGTHS OF ACIDS (11
pages) - Ignoring the leveling effect of water, the relative strengths of
acids have been interpreted based on their structures and electron
configurations. After going through this chapter, one would write a few
sentences about the relative strengths of, say, HNO3 and HClO3.
In this chapter, the acids have been
grouped together as given below.
IV A V A VI A VII A
(H2CO3) HNO3
(H2SiO4) H3PO4 H2SO4 HClO4 H3AsO4 H2SeO4 HBrO4 H6TeO6 H3IO5
10
STABILITY
OF ACIDS
CHAPTER 10 – STABILITY OF ACIDS (10 pages). In this chapter, the acids have been
grouped together as in the above chapter. The depth of the treatment could be
gauged from the fact that as many as 10 points have been given while
interpreting the stability of the acids of the series
H4SiO4 – H3PO4 –
H2SO4 – HClO4
and
equal number of points, including alternating effect, while interpreting the stability
of the acids of the series
ClO4- BrO4- IO65-
SO42- SeO42- TeO66-
11
REDOX
PROPERTIES OF ACIDS
In CHAPTER 11 – REDOX PROPERTIES OF ACIDS (7 pages)-
the redox properties of the acids have been discussed based on the electron
configuration and structure. It explains, for instance, why H2SO3 is
more oxidizing than H2SO4.
12
REDOX REACTIONS
CHAPTER 12 – REDOX REACTIONS (5 Pages)
-is a conventional chapter in which a few redox reactions such as
As2S3 + HNO3-----> H3AsO4 + H2SO4 + NO are balanced.
As2S3 + HNO3-----> H3AsO4 + H2SO4 + NO are balanced.
13.
BASES -
STRENGTH AND STABILITY
In CHAPTER 13- BASES –
STRENGTHS AND STABILITY (4 Pages)- the strength and stability of bases have
been discussed mainly based on the charge density and electronegativity of
cations.
14
HARD AND SOFT ACIDS AND BASES
CHAPTER 14 – HARD AND SOFT ACIDS AND BASES
(2 Pages)- is a
conventional chapter that mentions Hard and Soft Acids and Bases
15
MELTING POINTS OF CERTAIN HALIDES
In CHAPTER 15 – MELTING POINTS
OF CERTAIN HALIDES (8 Pages) - the melting points of halides of C, Si,
Ge, B, Sn and Al have been interpreted based on their structures and
electronegativities.
For example, it explains why the
melting and boiling points of the tetra-halides of the elements of the IV A
group fall from carbon to silicon and increase from silicon to lead.
16
HYDROLYSIS OF CERTAIN HALIDES
CHAPTER 16 – HYDROLYSIS OF CERTAIN
HALIDES (15 Pages) - deals with the mechanism
of the hydrolysis of the halides of the elements, which lie at the heart of the
periodic table such as B, C, Al, Si, P, S.
This chapter explains why the halides
such as CF4, NF3, SF6 are inert,
why does SiCl4 undergo
hydrolysis readily in contrast to CCl4,
why NCl3 and PCl3 do
not yield the similar products on hydrolysis and so on.
17
HYDROGEN
In CHAPTER 17 - HYDROGEN (15 Pages)- the
preferential polarization of hydrogen (not discussed in any other book) is
discussed.
Why does hydrogen form a three dimensional lattice when it combines with
alkali metals (and not when it combines with electronegative elements),
why does the stability of the hydrides
decrease down the group in contrast to the respective oxides,
why do molecules such as HF3,
HCl3 are not formed and
why is there no intra molecular
hydrogen bonding in CH3COOH are explained.
Further, the reason
for 1:3 ratio for ortho and para hydrogen,
the reason for the increase in
oxidation potential with decrease in hydrogen ion concentration,
the reason why, say, the electron of
the hydrogen atom has same energy when it remains in the 3s, 3p, 3d
orbitals are also discussed.
The effect of squeezing
hydrogen under ultra high pressure ( Ho-Kulang Mao and Russel Homley – 1989) is
mentioned.
Present status of cold
fusion given.
18
LITHIUM
In CHAPTER 18 - LITHIUM (10 Pages)- explanations for mainly the following
questions are given.
1. Why is Li2 molecule not
as stable as H2 molecule?
2. Though Li-Li covalent bond is stronger
than the bond in the Li metal lattice, Li atoms try to form a metal lattice of
lithium. Why?
3. Why are some alkali metal-salts
coloured?
4. Why does Li form lithium bonds?
5. With respect to hydration, why does
lithium differ from its diagonally related Mg?
6. Why is LiOH a stronger base than
CsOH in water?
7. “Cs2CO3 is
more soluble in water than Li2CO3. But LiClO3 is
more soluble in water than CSClO3”. Why?
8. LiF and certain other alkali metal
salts are insoluble, or only slightly soluble, in water. Why?
9. What are the entropy effects on the
solubility of the alkali metal salts?
10. Why do Li+ and Na+ ions
retain their water of crystallization in the solid state?
11. Why are alkali metals porous?
19
BERYLLIUM
CHAPTER 19 - BERYLLIUM (4 Pages) - is a small chapter. But it explains the
reason for the steep increase in the melting point from lithium to beryllium,
and then beryllium to carbon.
It explains why Be, (1s22s2), is not remaining as
a mono-atomic gas just like He (1s2).
It also explains the greater reactivity
of Be compared to He, which has an electronic configuration similar to that of
Be.
20
BORON
CHAPTER 20 - BORON (4
pages)- gives various definitions for metals and non-metals (metals exhibit
only positive oxidation state with the exception of As, Re and Au, but
non-metals exhibit +ve and –ve oxidation states).
Reason for the sudden change from
metallic (Be) to non-metallic (B) properties explained.
Reason for the stability of B2H5I,
and instability of B2H5Cl is mentioned.
23
OXYGEN
CHAPTER 23 -OXYGEN (3 pages)-
explains why the b.p. of oxygen is higher than either of its neighbours –
nitrogen and fluorine.
Moreover,
the magnetic properties of oxygen,
the instability of O2- ion,
the importance of partial negative charge on
oxygen,
the reason for the skew structure of H2O2 and
the maximum co-ordination number of oxygen are
discussed.
24
OXYGEN AND FLUORINE
CHAPTER 24 - OXYGEN AND FLUORINE (9 pages)- is
one of the important chapters. The relative oxidizing powers of oxygen and
fluorine are interpreted in this chapter.
This kind of interpretation is not found in other
books.
The fact that the +4 and +6 oxidation states for
chlorine are stabilized by oxygen and not by fluorine is clearly
discussed.
In this chapter also a new generalization regarding
the stability of oxides, fluorides, oxychloride and oxyflouride has been given.
25
SILICON
CHAPTER 25 - SILICON 5 pages- deals
with silicon. In this chapter, the relative strengths of Si-X bond and Si-H
bond, C-C bond and Si-Si bond are discussed.
Reason for the non-polymerization of CO2,
SiX4 and SiH4 unlike SiO2 is
given.
Notes on silicon chip and silicone rubber are
also given.
26
SECOND AND THIRD PERIODS
CHAPTER 26- SECOND AND THIRD PERIODS (9 pages)
- answers many questions such as:
Why is the formula of nitric acid HNO3 and
not (HO)5N or H3NO4.
Why are SO2 and CO2 monomers
rather than polymers like SiO2.
2 7 and 28
CHAPTER 27-VBT, CFT AND MOT (13 pages) and CHAPTER 28 TRANSITION
ELEMENTS- REACTIONS, KENETICS AND MECHANISM(4 pages)- are useful but
conventional chapters.
29
TRANSITION
ELEMENTS
CHAPTER 29 - TRANSITION ELEMENTS (20 pages). In this chapter, the colour of the
transition metals and their salts are discussed.
Reason for the ferromagnetism of
Fe, Co and Ni explained.
Further, the variations in the melting
points, boiling points, binding energies and densities of the transition metals
are interpreted.
The variations in the valency of these
metals are also interpreted.
The treatment has great depth.
30
ELEMENTS
OF GROUP IB
In CHAPTER 30 (9 pages) the dissociation energies of
Cu2, Ag2, and Au2 molecules,
the
relative stabilities of Cu+ and
Cu2+ in different
environments and
the
stability of the oxidation states of Cu, Ag and Au are theoretically interpreted
at great depth.
31
ELEMENTS
OF GROUP IIB
CHAPTER 31 -ELEMENTS OF GROUP IIB (9 pages) - answers questions such as:
Why does Hg, an otherwise inert
element, react with S and I2 even at room temperature?
Why does Hg remain as a liquid?
Why the hypothetical next element of
the IIB group with atomic number 112 would be a gas with metallic properties,
are mentioned.
32 and 33
CHAPTER 32 INNER TRANSITION ELEMENTS (8 pages) and CHAPTER 33 INERT GASES (2
pages) are complementary but useful chapters.
All chapters are complementary to one
another.
All important references are duly
acknowledged.
34 NAME INDEX
35 FORMULA INDEX
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