chemistry / Structures / free

Coordination Chemistry

Arrange ligands around a metal center and connect geometry to color and reactivity.

Follow the cause1 / 3

Ligands donate to a metal. Donor atoms approach a central metal and compete with repulsion, sterics, and solvent effects.

metal–ligand geometrytetrahedral · Δₜ 26

Focus the idea

ligands4

geometrytetrahedral

splittingΔₜ 26

spin state (simplified)high spin

Ligand count 4

Arrangement

Ligand-field strength Δₒ 58d electrons 6

4 donor atoms give an ideal tetrahedral arrangement. Wedges point toward you and dashes away; the same metal can behave differently when the ligand field changes.

Idealized geometries in a 2-D projection. The spin model is simplified: it compares the splitting with one fixed pairing energy (P = 50 on the same relative scale). Real complexes distort, exchange ligands, and have metal- and ligand-specific P and Δ.

04 / PRACTICE

Make the chemistry yours.

0 / 3 checked

Answer from the model, then use the explanation to connect the particle picture to the chemical rule.

CHECK 1 / 3

Coordination Chemistry

Make the chemistry yours.

What does coordination number count?