Tutorial 2

1. Covalent bonding is one of the primary interatomic bonding between atoms. Discuss
briefly about this bonding with appropriate example.
In covalent bonding stable electron configurations are assumed by sharing of
electrons between adjacent atoms. Two atoms that are covalently bonded will each
contribute at least one electron to the bond, and the shared electrons may be
considered to belong to both atoms.

2. Verify the atomic packing factor for the BCC cell.

3. Write the electron configuration for the following ions.

i. Cr2+ (1s22s22p63s23p63d4)
ii. Cr3+ (1s22s22p63s23p6)
iii. Cr6+ (1s22s22p63s23p3)
iv. Mo3+ (1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p6)
v. Se2- (1s2, 2s2 2p6, 3s2 3p6 3d10, 4s2 4p6)

4. Define the following terms.

i. Atomic number
the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which is characteristic of a chemical element
and determines its place in the periodic table.
ii. Atomic mass
the mass of an atom of a chemical element expressed in atomic mass units. It is
approximately equivalent to the number of protons and neutrons in the atom (the mass
number) or to the average number allowing for the relative abundances of different isotopes.
iii. isotopes
each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but
different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not
in chemical properties; in particular, a radioactive form of an element.

5. Lithium at 20oC is BCC and has a lattice constant 0.35092 nm. Compute a value for
atomic radius of lithium in nanometer.

6. Palladium is FCC and has an atomic radius of 0.317 nm. Calculate a value of its lattice
constant a in nanometers.
7. Rank the following atoms in a) increasing atomic size and b) decreasing first
ionization energy. Use the periodic table to answer the question.
a) Increasing atomic size
Lithium → Palladium
b) Decreasing first ionization energy
Palladium → Lithium

8. Calculate the radius of a tantalum atom given that Ta has a BCC crystal structure, a
density of 16.6 g/cm3 and an atomic weight of 180.9 g/mol.