Chemical Bonding & Molecular Structure
60 terms · page 2 of 3
HOMO and LUMO
The highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, which together govern a molecule's reactivity and spectroscopy.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureHybridisation
The mixing of atomic orbitals on the same atom to form an equal number of new, equivalent orbitals suited to bonding.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureHydrogen Bond
A strong dipole interaction between a hydrogen atom bonded to N, O or F and a lone pair on another such atom.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureIncomplete Octet
A stable bonding arrangement in which the central atom carries fewer than eight valence electrons.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureIntermolecular Forces
The comparatively weak attractions acting between separate molecules rather than within them.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureIonic Bond
The electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions formed by the complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureIon–Dipole Interaction
The attraction between an ion and the oppositely charged end of a polar molecule.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureLattice Energy
The energy released when one mole of an ionic solid is formed from its constituent gaseous ions.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureLewis Structure
A diagram showing the bonding and lone pairs of a molecule using dots or lines for valence electrons.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureLinear Geometry
A molecular shape in which the bonded atoms lie on a straight line, giving a bond angle of 180°.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureLondon Dispersion Forces
Attractions between molecules caused by instantaneous fluctuations in electron distribution inducing dipoles in neighbours.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureLone Pair
A pair of valence electrons localised on one atom and not involved in bonding.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureMetallic Bond
The attraction between a lattice of metal cations and the delocalised electrons that move freely throughout the structure.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureMolecular Geometry
The three-dimensional arrangement of the bonded atoms in a molecule, ignoring the positions of lone pairs.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureMolecular Orbital Theory
The bonding model in which atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals delocalised over the entire molecule.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureOctahedral Geometry
A shape with six bonded atoms at the vertices of a regular octahedron, all bond angles being 90° or 180°.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureOctet Rule
The observation that atoms tend to gain, lose or share electrons until they are surrounded by eight valence electrons.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureOdd-Electron Molecule
A species containing an unpaired electron, so that its total electron count is odd and no octet structure is possible.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructurePi Bond
A covalent bond formed by the sideways overlap of parallel p orbitals, with electron density above and below the internuclear axis.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructurePolar Covalent Bond
A covalent bond in which the shared electrons are unequally distributed because the bonded atoms differ in electronegativity.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructurePolarisability
The ease with which the electron cloud of an atom, ion or molecule can be distorted by an external electric field.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructurePolarising Power
The ability of a cation to distort the electron cloud of a neighbouring anion.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureResonance
The description of a molecule whose true structure is a weighted average of two or more valid Lewis structures.
Chemical Bonding & Molecular StructureResonance Energy
The extra stability a molecule gains from electron delocalisation, measured against the most stable single Lewis structure.