Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding

Brown - Chemistry: The Central Science 14th Edition

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Brown 14th Edition

Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding

Problem 109

Chapter 8, Problem 109

Ammonia reacts with boron trifluoride to form a stable compound, as we saw in Section 8.7. (a) Draw the Lewis structure of the ammonia–boron trifluoride reaction product.

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Draw the Lewis structure for ammonia (NH_3). Ammonia has a nitrogen atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, with a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen.

Draw the Lewis structure for boron trifluoride (BF_3). Boron is the central atom bonded to three fluorine atoms, and it does not have a complete octet.

Recognize that ammonia can donate its lone pair of electrons to form a coordinate covalent bond with boron, which is electron-deficient.

Draw the Lewis structure of the reaction product, where the lone pair from nitrogen in NH_3 forms a bond with the boron atom in BF_3, resulting in a compound with a N-B bond.

Ensure that the final structure shows all atoms with complete octets, except for boron, which can be stable with six electrons.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Lewis Structures

Lewis structures are diagrams that represent the bonding between atoms in a molecule and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist. They use dots to represent electrons and lines to represent bonds, allowing chemists to visualize the arrangement of atoms and the distribution of electrons. Understanding how to draw Lewis structures is essential for predicting molecular geometry and reactivity.

Covalent Bonding

Covalent bonding occurs when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons, resulting in the formation of a stable molecule. In the case of ammonia (NH3) and boron trifluoride (BF3), the interaction leads to the formation of a coordinate covalent bond, where one atom donates both electrons to the bond. This concept is crucial for understanding how different molecules interact and form new compounds.

Molecular Geometry

Molecular geometry refers to the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms within a molecule. It is influenced by the number of bonding pairs and lone pairs of electrons around the central atom, which can affect the molecule's shape and properties. Understanding molecular geometry is important for predicting the behavior of molecules in reactions, such as the ammonia-boron trifluoride complex.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

Use average bond enthalpies from Table 8.4 to estimate the enthalpies of the following gas-phase reactions: Reaction 1: HF1g2 + H2O1g2 Δ F-1g2 + H3O+1g2 Reaction 2: HCl1g2 + H2O1g2 Δ Cl-1g2 + H3O+1g2 Are both reactions exothermic? How do these values relate to the different strengths of hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acid?

Trifluoroacetic acid has the chemical formula CF₃CO₂H. It is a colorless liquid that has a density of 1.489 g/mL. (d) How many milliliters of a 0.500 M solution of NaOH would it take to neutralize 10.5 mL of trifluoroacetic acid?

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Textbook Question

Ammonium chloride, NH4Cl, is a very soluble salt in water. (c) If you dissolve 14 g of ammonium chloride in 500.0 mL of water, what is the molar concentration of the solution?

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Textbook Question

Trifluoroacetic acid has the chemical formula CF₃CO₂H. It is a colorless liquid that has a density of 1.489 g/mL. (b) Trifluoroacetic acid can react with NaOH in aqueous solution to produce the trifluoroacetate ion, CF₃COO₂. Write the balanced chemical equation for this reaction.

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Textbook Question

Trifluoroacetic acid has the chemical formula CF₃CO₂H. It is a colorless liquid that has a density of 1.489 g/mL (a) Trifluoroacetic acid contains one CF₃ unit and is connected to the other C atom which bonds with both O’s. Draw the Lewis structure for trifluoroacetic acid.

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Textbook Question

Ammonium chloride, NH4Cl, is a very soluble salt in water.(a) Draw the Lewis structures of the ammonium and chlorideions.

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