Bond distances in metal dichlorides

The M-Cl bond distances determined by gas electron diffraction are listed in Table 10.2. The bond distance determined by this method does not correspond to the equilibrium bond distance, but to the average bond distance during vibrations. The bond distances in the table are therefore denoted by R rather than by Re. The difference between the average and equilibrium bond distances may in unfavorable cases be as large as 3 pm. 

The bond distances have been determined by least-squares calculations on the electron diffraction data. Such calculations also yield estimated standard deviations (e.s.d.s) for the 

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