In Search of a Deep Understanding of the Relative Stabilities of Transition Metal Halides

Steven H. Strauss
Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1872
J. Chem. Educ., 2001, 78 (12), p 1635
DOI: 10.1021/ed078p1635
Publication Date (Web): December 1, 2001

Abstract

This paper presents an alternative way to introduce vertical periodic trends in undergraduate inorganic chemistry courses. Guided by the instructor, students investigate the stable, stoichiometric halides of vanadium, niobium, and tantalum. Group trends involving metal atomization enthalpies, first through fifth metal ionization energies, enthalpies of formation of gaseous halide ions, and lattice enthalpies are investigated on a need-to-know basis, and students learn how a deep understanding of thermodynamic stability can result only when layer upon layer of complexity is peeled back and examined. After studying a series of lectures based on this material, students will also appreciate that the word stable is ambiguous unless linked to the phrase with respect to... Since lectures based on this material would be integrated and have a common theme, the periodic trends and the descriptive chemistry presented may be more meaningful to students and may not seem like so many individual concepts and facts to be memorized.

Keywords (Audience):

Second-Year Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Inorganic Chemistry

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Inquiry-Based / Discovery Learning

Keywords (Subject):

Descriptive Chemistry
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  • Received: August 03, 2009

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