Which of the following species would absorb light with the shortest wavelength? (ligand field strengths: CN⁻ > NH₃ > H₂O > Cl⁻)
Understand the Problem
The question is asking which of the given cobalt coordination complexes absorbs light with the shortest wavelength, given the spectrochemical series (ligand field strengths) of the ligands involved (CN⁻ > NH₃ > H₂O > Cl⁻). Complexes with larger crystal field splitting absorb light of shorter wavelengths (higher energy).
Answer
The final answer is C) [Co(CN)₆]³⁻.
The species that would absorb light with the shortest wavelength is C) [Co(CN)₆]³⁻.
Answer for screen readers
The species that would absorb light with the shortest wavelength is C) [Co(CN)₆]³⁻.
More Information
Complexes with ligands that have a high ligand field strength absorb light with shorter wavelengths. According to the given ligand field strengths (CN⁻ > NH₃ > H₂O > Cl⁻), CN⁻ has the highest ligand field strength. Therefore, [Co(CN)₆]³⁻ will absorb light with the shortest wavelength.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the relationship between ligand field strength and wavelength. Remember, stronger field ligands result in shorter wavelengths (higher energy).
Sources
AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify critical information
