How does HI(g) split into H and I?
1. Does it collide with another HI(g) and energy is lost? or the electron being shared gets dislocated?
2. If so, then can HI(g) collide with anything (H or I or the wall) to split up?
The splitting of HI(g) into H and I is a result of a chemical reaction known as dissociation. In this case, the reaction is typically initiated by the absorption of energy, often in the form of heat or light.
1. When HI(g) absorbs energy, it can undergo a process called homolytic bond cleavage. In this process, the shared electron pair between the hydrogen and iodine atoms is equally and symmetrically split, resulting in the formation of two separate atoms, H and I. This occurs due to the high-energy input breaking the bond between the hydrogen and iodine atoms.
2. In terms of collision, while HI(g) can potentially collide with other molecules such as hydrogen (H2) or iodine (I2) to produce H and I atoms, it is usually not a common occurrence in practice. This is because the energy required to overcome the bond strength of HI and create H and I atoms is typically higher than that generated by mere collisions with other molecules. As a result, dissociation of HI(g) is mainly achieved through the input of external energy, as mentioned earlier.
It's important to note that this explanation describes a simplified view of the dissociation process, and there may be additional factors and intermediate steps involved in the actual reaction mechanism.