Which of the following statements is true regarding a covalent bond in CO?
Valence electrons are transferred to the oxygen atom.
The bond length is less than the sum of the two atomic radii.
Bonding electrons are stationary in the CO molecule.
all of the above
none of the above
I would go wth b. The C-O bond length is 112.8 pm according to wikipedia. The covalent radius for C is 0.77 and that of O is 0.73 according to my home periodic table.
To determine which of the statements is true regarding a covalent bond in CO, we need to understand the nature of a covalent bond and the characteristics of the CO molecule.
A covalent bond occurs when two atoms share electrons to attain a stable electron configuration. In CO, carbon (C) and oxygen (O) atoms share electrons to form a covalent bond.
Now let's evaluate each statement:
1. "Valence electrons are transferred to the oxygen atom."
This statement is not true. In a covalent bond, electrons are shared between atoms, rather than transferred. Both carbon and oxygen contribute electrons to the bond, resulting in a shared electron pair between them.
2. "The bond length is less than the sum of the two atomic radii."
This statement is true. In a covalent bond, atoms come close together, and the distance between them is known as the bond length. The bond length is typically less than the sum of the atomic radii of the bonded atoms. In the CO molecule, the bond length is indeed shorter than the sum of the carbon and oxygen atomic radii.
3. "Bonding electrons are stationary in the CO molecule."
This statement is not true. In a covalent bond, electrons are in constant motion, forming a cloud around the atoms. The electrons are not stationary but rather occupy molecular orbitals, which are areas of probability where the electron is likely to be found.
Therefore, the correct answer is "The bond length is less than the sum of the two atomic radii."
The correct answer is:
none of the above
In a covalent bond in CO:
- Valence electrons are not transferred to the oxygen atom; instead, they are shared between the carbon and oxygen atoms.
- The bond length is generally greater than the sum of the two atomic radii, as the atoms in a covalent bond are not completely overlapping.
- Bonding electrons are not stationary; they are in constant motion between the two atoms.