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What is the ground state term for co in Co[ox]3 in a octahdreal complex?
Accepted Answer
The ground state term for Co in Co[ox]3 is 4T1g. Here's how to determine it:
1. Electronic Configuration: Co(III) has the electronic configuration [Ar]3d6. In an octahedral complex, the d orbitals split into two sets: t2g (dxy, dyz, dxz) and eg (dx2-y2, dz2). The t2g set is lower in energy.
2. Ligand Field: The oxalate ligand (ox) is a weak field ligand, causing a small splitting of the d orbitals. Therefore, Co(III) in [Co(ox)3]3- will have a high spin configuration.
3. Term Symbol: With 6 d electrons in a high spin configuration, the t2g set will have 4 electrons and the eg set will have 2. This gives us a term symbol of 4T1g. The superscript 4 indicates the spin multiplicity (2S+1) with S=3/2 (4 unpaired electrons). The T indicates the orbital angular momentum (L=1). The subscript g indicates the parity of the term (gerade - even).
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