Unanswered Questions
1,797 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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What is d-orbital collapse?
When I was perusing the works of Schwarz on atomic structure, I came across the unfamiliar term of d-orbital collapse.
He describes it as a variation in energetic sequence from group 1 to 3 elements ...
- 60k
11
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1
answer
303
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What is this golden looking substance?
I am currently messing around with gallium compromising aluminum. I am using a titalium lock which is just a brand of aluminum padlock and I put a gallium-indium euctic alloy on the surface of it. It’...
CommunityBot
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10
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1
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Why are IUPAC's definitions of exo- and endothermic disconnected from the direction of heat flow?
I'm wondering if anyone can provide a rationale for IUPAC's definitions of exothermic and endothermic since they disconnect these terms from the direction of heat flow.
Specifically, here are IUPAC's ...
CommunityBot
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Why does the reaction of sodium nitrate, aluminium, and sodium hydroxide yield ammonia?
From Russian test problem 4301:
$$\ce{3NaNO3 + 8Al + 5NaOH + 18H2O -> 8Na[Al(OH)4] + 3NH3(g)}$$
How does ammonia evolve here? Is it that we get hydrogen gas evolving in the reaction between Al and ...
- 6,801
10
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Identifying alkyl ligands as π-donors or π-acceptors in transition metal complexes
Is there a systematic way to identify an alkyl ligand as a π-acceptor or π-donor in a transition metal complex?
Although various sources indicate that the weak field ligands are typically π-donors and ...
- 38.4k
9
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Why are vapours of xenon hexafluoride coloured?
According to Wikipedia,
[...] It is a colorless solid that readily sublimes into intensely yellow vapors.
It is clear from the above statement that $\ce{XeF6}$ is colourless in solid form. But why ...
CommunityBot
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9
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1
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Order of Basicity of Nitrogen Trihalides
I was asked to arrange nitrogen tri-halides in order of increasing basicity. On looking up the answer online, it turned out to be the following: $\ce{NF3}$ < $\ce{NCl3}$ < $\ce{NBr3}$ < $\ce{...
CommunityBot
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8
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Why is octaoxygen diamagnetic?
I tried considering that according to LCAO-MO theory $\ce{O2}$ is paramagnetic, which is confirmed by experimental evidence. Since octaoxygen has the crystal structure in figure, I thought there is a ...
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8
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What exactly is an "electron-sponge"?
What exactly an "electron-sponge" [behavior/action/property/system] nickname is, and what makes a material an "electron-sponge" (preferably, quantitatively)?
From what I found, it's typically a ...
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8
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Removal of nickel plating on MgB2 without damaging the boride?
I need to remove a nickel plating of a MgB2 wire without causing damage to the MgB2. I felt that electrolysis is the best method but I do not know what electrolyte to use for this. I also need to coat ...
CommunityBot
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Isolating radium oxide
Why is radium oxide yet to be isolated when a wide range of other radium (II) compounds are known ?
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Type of British porcelain invented around 1917-1918
Being subscribed already for 30 years on Scientific American, I recently downloaded the whole archive, and I am now going through 1914-1918.
In the 26 January 1918 issue, on page 95, there is a small ...
- 38.4k
7
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Does solvate isomers exist for coordination compounds with ammonia solvent as ligand?
I could find many sources confirming the hydrate isomerism(with water as solvent) but I couldn't find any information about any other solvent. In all the sources "hydrate/solvate isomerism" ...
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Why does entropy increase in reactions that make more molecules?
I used to understand this (more molecules ⇒ more degrees of freedom), but do no longer, because the total number of atoms is conserved, so translational d.o.f. should just be turned into internal d.o....
7
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Why does lithium aluminium hydride appear grey?
Commercial lithium aluminium hydride is a grey compound, which loses a lot of reactivity the darker it is. Luckily you can clean it up to get the reactive white compound and the separated grey ...
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