Frequently Asked Question

To calculate the free ion term from the microstates of a d² configuration, you can follow these steps:
1. Determine the possible microstates: For a d² configuration, there are 45 possible microstates. You can use Hund's rules to help you determine these.
2. Calculate the total spin angular momentum (S): This is the sum of the individual spin angular momenta of the electrons. For a d² configuration, each electron has a spin of +1/2 or -1/2, so the total spin can range from 0 to 1.
3. Calculate the total orbital angular momentum (L): This is the sum of the individual orbital angular momenta of the electrons. For a d² configuration, each electron has an orbital angular momentum of 2, so the total orbital angular momentum can range from 0 to 4.
4. Determine the possible term symbols: The term symbol is a shorthand notation that describes the electronic state of an atom or ion. It is represented as ²S+¹L_J, where S is the total spin angular momentum, L is the total orbital angular momentum (represented by a letter: S=0, P=1, D=2, F=3, G=4), and J is the total angular momentum (J = L + S, L + S - 1, … , |L - S|).
5. Apply Hund's rules to determine the ground state term symbol: Hund's rules state that:

The term with the highest multiplicity (2S+1) is the most stable.

For a given multiplicity, the term with the highest L value is the most stable.

For a given multiplicity and L, the term with the highest J value is the most stable for less than half-filled shells, and the lowest J value is the most stable for more than half-filled shells.
By following these steps, you can determine the free ion term for a d² configuration. This term is the lowest energy state of the ion and will be the most stable.