In the presence of a strong octahedral ligand field, the number of unpaired electrons in Co(III) will be
A)0.
B)2.
C)4.
D)6.
E)None of these choices are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the presence of a strong octahedral ligand field, Co(III) will have a high-spin configuration with all six 3d electrons paired up in d-orbitals with opposite spins. This is because the energy required to pair up the electrons is less than the energy required to put them in higher energy orbitals owing to strong ligand field effects. Therefore, Co(III) will have zero unpaired electrons.

In the Presence of a Strong Octahedral Ligand Field, the Number