Which of the following species has the weakest N-to-O covalent bond: HONO, NO2-, NO2, N2O, NO3-?
To determine which of the given species has the weakest N-to-O covalent bond, we need to consider the electronegativity difference between nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O). The greater the difference in electronegativity, the stronger the covalent bond.
To find the electronegativity values of nitrogen and oxygen, we can refer to the periodic table. Nitrogen has an electronegativity value of 3.04, and oxygen has an electronegativity value of 3.44.
Now, comparing the electronegativity difference between N and O in each species:
1. HONO: N and O have an electronegativity difference of 3.44 - 3.04 = 0.4.
2. NO2-: N and O have an electronegativity difference of 3.44 - 3.04 = 0.4.
3. NO2: N and O have an electronegativity difference of 3.44 - 3.04 = 0.4.
4. N2O: N and O have an electronegativity difference of 3.44 - 3.04 = 0.4.
5. NO3-: N and O have an electronegativity difference of 3.44 - 3.04 = 0.4.
As we can see, all the given species have the same electronegativity difference of 0.4 between N and O. This implies that the strength of the N-to-O covalent bond is the same for all the species.
Therefore, none of the given species have a weaker N-to-O covalent bond than the others.