BRAINCAKEFormation of Coloured Ions
Transition elements with incomplete d subshells have electrons that are initally in the ground state occupying lower energy levels. Usually all five d orbitals have the same energy level. In the presence of a ligand the energy levels split into two higher and three lower or two lower and three higher depending on the ligand. When an electron absorbs a photon of visible light an electron in the lower energy level can be excited and occupy a higher energy orbital.
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Key terms in this lesson
- ligand
- An atom, ion or molecule that donates a pair of electrons to a central metal ion to form a co-ordinate bond.
More in Redox Reactions
- Properties of Transition Metals
- Complex Ions
- Shapes of complex ions
- Isomerism
- Spectroscopy
- Ligand Substitution Reactions
- Vanadium
- Tollens Reagent
All 21 lessons in Redox Reactions · All OCR A-level Chemistry topics