why is the molecular formula of oide of arsenic in its gaseous state is not neccessarialy the same as its empirical formula
what does this mean and how do i do it
Molecules are known to dimerize or trimerize. We actually don't know what the molecular formula is until we measure it. The empirical formula is just the simplest formula possible based on numbers; however, a molecule may be forced to dimerize in order to satisfy bonding requirements.
Which dimerizes, No2, No2-, or No2+
To determine which compound - NO2, NO2-, or NO2+ - dimerizes, we need to look at their chemical structures and consider their bonding requirements.
NO2 is a neutral molecule, NO2- is the nitrite ion with a negative charge, and NO2+ is the nitronium cation with a positive charge.
In terms of bonding requirements, nitrogen (N) typically forms three covalent bonds to complete its octet in a stable molecule.
For NO2, it has one nitrogen atom bonded to two oxygen atoms, satisfying the nitrogen's bonding requirements with a formal charge of 0. This means that NO2 is already a stable molecule and does not need to dimerize.
On the other hand, for NO2- and NO2+, they both have a formal charge of +/- 1, indicating that they are not stable as individual molecules.
To alleviate the charge imbalance in NO2- and NO2+, these ions may undergo dimerization to form more stable structures. In the case of NO2-, two nitrite ions combine, forming N2O4, a stable molecular formula.
NO2+ can also dimerize to form N2O4, stabilizing the positive charge imbalance.
In summary, NO2 does not dimerize since it is already a stable molecule. However, both NO2- and NO2+ can dimerize to form N2O4 to achieve a more stable structure and balance charges.