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Na₂[Co(SCN)₄] is a coordination compound with cobalt(II) as the central metal ion. Here's how to determine the ground state free ion term symbol for Co²⁺:
1. Electronic Configuration: Co²⁺ has an electronic configuration of [Ar] 3d⁷.
2. Hund's Rule: Electrons will individually occupy each orbital within a subshell before doubling up in any one orbital, and they'll have parallel spins. This gives us 3d⁷: t²g⁵ eg²
3. Term Symbol:
S (Total Spin Angular Momentum): With 3 unpaired electrons, S = 3/2
L (Total Orbital Angular Momentum): t²g⁵ eg² gives us L = 2 (from the t²g orbitals, assuming they are dxy, dxz, dyz)
J (Total Angular Momentum): Since cobalt(II) is a d⁷ ion, the ground state term symbol is determined by Hund's rule, which states that the term with the highest spin multiplicity is the ground state. In this case, the ground state term symbol is ⁴F.
Therefore, the ground state free ion term symbol for Co²⁺ in Na₂[Co(SCN)₄] is ⁴F.