Which sample contains particles in a rigid, fixed, geometric pattern?
a. CO2
b. HCl
c. KCl
d. H2O
The compound that is a solid.
KCL (s) due to it being a solid (hence *fixed*)
To determine which sample contains particles in a rigid, fixed, geometric pattern, we need to examine the chemical compounds listed as options.
a. CO2 (carbon dioxide): CO2 is a nonpolar molecule composed of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. It consists of linearly arranged atoms, but it does not possess a rigid, fixed, geometric pattern.
b. HCl (hydrochloric acid): HCl is a polar molecule consisting of one hydrogen atom and one chlorine atom. Similar to CO2, HCl does not exhibit a rigid, fixed, geometric pattern.
c. KCl (potassium chloride): KCl is an ionic compound with a crystalline structure. In a solid state, KCl forms a repeating pattern of positively charged potassium ions (K+) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-). This regular arrangement of ions gives KCl a rigid, fixed, geometric pattern, making it the correct answer.
d. H2O (water): H2O is a polar molecule composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Although water molecules tend to associate with each other due to intermolecular forces, they do not exhibit a rigid, fixed, geometric pattern.
Therefore, the sample that contains particles in a rigid, fixed, geometric pattern is c. KCl.