JEE Unit 3: CHEMICAL BONDING AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE

1. What is the Kossel-Lewis approach to chemical bond formation?
Answer: The Kossel-Lewis approach suggests that atoms gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration similar to the nearest noble gas.

2. Define ionic and covalent bonds.
Answer: Ionic bonds form through the transfer of electrons between atoms, resulting in the attraction between oppositely charged ions. Covalent bonds form through the sharing of electrons between atoms.

3. How are ionic bonds formed?
Answer: Ionic bonds are formed through the transfer of electrons from one atom (typically a metal) to another atom (typically a nonmetal), resulting in the formation of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions.

4. What factors affect the formation of ionic bonds?
Answer: Factors affecting the formation of ionic bonds include the electronegativity difference between atoms, the size of the ions, and the lattice energy of the resulting ionic compound.

5. How is lattice enthalpy calculated?
Answer: Lattice enthalpy is the energy released when gaseous ions come together to form an ionic solid. It is calculated using Coulomb’s law and depends on the charges and sizes of the ions.

6. Define electronegativity.
Answer: Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond.

7. Explain Fajan’s rule.
Answer: Fajan’s rule states that smaller, highly charged ions form more covalent character in their ionic bonds, leading to polar covalent character.

8. What is dipole moment?
Answer: Dipole moment is a measure of the polarity of a molecule, calculated as the product of the charge separation and the distance between the charges.

9. What is the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory used for?
Answer: The VSEPR theory is used to predict the shapes of simple molecules based on the repulsion between electron pairs in the valence shell of the central atom.

10. Describe the concept of hybridization.
Answer: Hybridization involves the mixing of atomic orbitals to form hybrid orbitals with different shapes and energies, suitable for bonding.

11. Explain resonance in chemical bonding.
Answer: Resonance occurs when multiple Lewis structures can be drawn for a molecule, indicating that the actual electronic structure is a combination or resonance hybrid of the contributing structures.

12. What are molecular orbitals (MOs)?
Answer: Molecular orbitals are regions of space around a molecule where electrons are likely to be found, formed by the overlap of atomic orbitals.

13. Describe the types of molecular orbitals.
Answer: Molecular orbitals include bonding orbitals, where electrons are stabilized, and antibonding orbitals, where electrons are destabilized.

14. Differentiate between sigma and pi bonds.
Answer: Sigma bonds are formed by the head-on overlap of atomic orbitals, while pi bonds are formed by the side-to-side overlap of p orbitals.

15. Explain the concept of bond order.
Answer: Bond order is the number of bonds between two atoms in a molecule, calculated as the difference between the number of bonding and antibonding electrons divided by 2.

16. What is the molecular orbital electronic configuration of homonuclear diatomic molecules?
Answer: The molecular orbital electronic configuration of homonuclear diatomic molecules is determined by filling molecular orbitals with electrons according to the Aufbau principle, Hund’s rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle.

17. Describe metallic bonding.
Answer: Metallic bonding is the bonding between positively charged metal ions and delocalized electrons, resulting in the formation of a metallic lattice.

18. What is hydrogen bonding and its significance?
Answer: Hydrogen bonding is a type of dipole-dipole attraction between a hydrogen atom bonded to a highly electronegative atom and another electronegative atom. It is significant in determining the properties of substances such as water and DNA.

19. How can hydrogen bonding be applied in chemistry?
Answer: Hydrogen bonding is utilized in various chemical processes, including the stabilization of protein structures, the formation of ice, and the design of certain types of supramolecular assemblies.

20. Explain the importance of understanding chemical bonding and molecular structure in chemistry.
Answer: Understanding chemical bonding and molecular structure is crucial in predicting the properties and behavior of substances, designing new materials, and elucidating reaction mechanisms in various chemical processes.