The Inorganic Model Kit provides the necessary tools for the construction of a two-dimensional model of a simple molecule. The "Components" menu contains a collection of balls that symbolize atoms in the plane , behind the plane, and in front of the plane of the page. Select the type of atom from the "Element" menu. The p and hybrid orbitals are represented with sticks. When the p orbitals or one of the types of hybrid orbitals is selected in the "Components" menu and the left mouse button is pressed, a ball and stick model of the central atom is displayed at the position of the cursor. To rotate the model in the plane of the page, continue to press the left mouse button and move the cursor horizontally. The sticks on the central atom illustrate the appropriate spatial arrangement of the p or hybrid orbitals. The wedge-shaped stick with the narrow end near the central atom represents an orbital that is above the plane of the page. Orbitals behind the plane of the page are depicted with wedge-shaped sticks that have the wide end near the central atom. Terminal atoms may be attached to the central atom by selecting the appropriate atom (above, below, or in the plane) from the "Components" menu, picking the type of atom from the "Element" menu, placing the cursor near the end of one of the sticks, and pressing the left mouse button. To connect two central atoms, overlap the sticks on the two balls in the same manner as the orbitals on the atoms overlap to form a sigma bonding molecular orbital.
When the cursor is placed on top of an object, the object is "highlighted" - the color of the object changes to yellow. If the right mouse button is pressed, a menu that contains the items "move", "delete", and "reverse" is displayed. The selection of the "move" item will allow you to move the object horizontally or vertically. To move an object, place the cursor on "move" in the menu and click the left mouse button. Move the cursor and object to the new position and again click the left mouse button. The "reverse" item is used when two objects overlap and you wish to move the object on the bottom to the top. Try the Tutorial for Experiment: Molecular Structure.
Construct a two-dimensional model and predict the molecular geometry of each compound listed below. You are encouraged to use the orbital representations of Structures 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 that you drew in the "Experiment: Orbital Representation" to aid you in this endeavor. Please include a printed copy of the molecular models. To capture the Java Applet Window with your models, press the "Print Screen" key on your keyboard (upper right). Open your favorite word processing program - WordPerfect, Word, WordPad - and "Paste" the captured window to the blank page. Finally, print the page.
If you have constructed two-dimensional models of the eight molecules, predicted the molecular geometries, and prepared a copy of the models to be submitted for credit, then you may check the Answers to the Molecular Structure Exercise
| Dr. Nutt's CHE 115 Course |