Color of elements

Note that chlorine steals electrons from bromide ions to become chloride ions. When the bromide ions lose their extra electrons, the two bromine atoms form a covalent bond with each other to produce Br2 molecules. The result of this reaction, the characteristic color of elemental bromine in solution, is shown in Figure 20-2. The formation of the covalent bond by sharing of electrons also is an oxidation-reduction reaction. 

We have developed the relativistic theory of molecular science from the first principles offundamental physics, namely from quantum mechanics and from the special theory of relativity. In principle, we are now able to study any molecular system using quantum chemical methods of controllable accuracy. Comparisons with purely mmrelativistic calculations highlight so-called relativistic effects. Prominent macroscopic examples are the yellowish color of elemental gold and the fluidity of mercury at ambient temperature. This final chapter comprises some important examples for which relativity is of paramount importance. 

A molecular model is a more accurate and complete way to specify a compound. A ball-and-stick molecular model represents atoms as balls and chemical bonds as sticks how the two connect reflects a molecule s shape. The balls are typically color-coded to specific elements. For example, carbon is customarily black, hydrogen is white, nitrogen is blue, and oxygen is red. (For a complete list of colors of elements in the molecular models used in this book, see Appendix IIA.)... 

TABLE 1.1 Colors of Elements Commonly Used m Molecular Ait... 

The actinide elements exhibit uniformity in ionic types. In acidic aqueous solution, there are four types of cations, and these and their colors are hsted in Table 5 (12—14,17). The open spaces indicate that the corresponding oxidation states do not exist in aqueous solution. The wide variety of colors exhibited by actinide ions is characteristic of transition series of elements. In general, protactinium(V) polymerizes and precipitates readily in aqueous solution and it seems unlikely that ionic forms ate present in such solutions. 

The dominant commercial form of elemental phosphoms is the a-white aHotrope. a-White phosphoms is often designated simply as because the soHd consists of tetrahedral P molecules. In its pure form, it is a white soHd that forms a clear Hquid when melted. However, the commercial product is generally somewhat yellow, both as a soHd and as a Hquid, owing to the presence of small amounts of a ted phosphoms aHotrope. Commercial white phosphoms may also be slightly gray in color because of incomplete separation of coke dusts and other impurities generated in the manufacturing process. 

Blt-M ppedImages. A bit map is a grid pattern composed of tiny cells or picture elements called pixels. Each pixel has two attributes a location and a value or set of values. Location is defined as the address of the cell in a Cartesian, ie, x andjy coordinate, system. Value is defined as the color of the pixel in a specified color system. Geometric quaUties of images are a function of the location attribute, ie, the finer the grid pattern, the more precisely can the geometric quaUties be controlled. Color quaUties are a function of the value attribute, ie, the more bytes of computer memory assigned to describe each pixel, the more precisely can the color quaUties be controlled. 

Elemental sulfur in either its ore or its refined state can generaUy be recognized by its characteristic yeUow color or by the generation of sulfur dioxide when it is burned in air. Its presence in an elemental state or in a compound can be detected by heating the material with sodium carbonate and mbbing the fused product on a wet piece of silver metal. A black discoloration of the silver indicates the presence of sulfur. The test is quite sensitive. Several other methods for detecting smaU amounts of elemental sulfur have also been developed (34). 

Barium sulfide solutions undergo slow oxidation in air, forming elemental sulfur and a family of oxidized sulfur species including the sulfite, thiosulfate, polythionates, and sulfate. The elemental sulfur is retained in the dissolved bquor in the form of polysulfide ions, which are responsible for the yellow color of most BaS solutions. Some of the mote highly oxidized sulfur species also enter the solution. Sulfur compound formation should be minimized to prevent the compounds made from BaS, such as barium carbonate, from becoming contaminated with sulfur. 

As befits the electron configuration of elemental calcium, the metal is very reactive, readily losing two valence electrons to form the dispositive ion. In aqueous solution and ia its compounds, is colorless. Most calcium compounds ate white, unless the cation is paired with a colored anion. The ion... 

Smectite [12199-37-0] from an oxidized outcrop is stained light blue by a dilute solution of benzidine hydrochloride. The color does not arise from smectite specifically, but from reaction of a high oxidation state of elements such as Fe " and Mn " (46)46. 

In order to induce the free-radical chain reaction, a starter compound such as dibenzoyl diperoxide, azo-Zj -(isobutyronitrile) or tcrt-butyl hydroperoxide or UV-light is used. The commercially available, technical grade N-bromosuccinimide contains traces of bromine, and therefore is of slight red-brown color. Since a small amount of elemental bromine is necessary for the radical... 

FIGURE 1-58 The pairs of elements represented by similarly colored boxes show a strong diagonal relationship to each other. 

The compounds of the t/block elements show a wide range of interesting properties. Some are vital to life. Iron is an essential component of mammalian blood. Compounds of cobalt, molybdenum, and zinc are found in vitamins and essential enzymes. Other compounds simply make life more interesting and colorful. The beautiful color of cobalt blue glass, the brilliant greens and blues of kiln-baked pottery, and many pigments used by artists make use of d-block compounds. 

Commercial elemental sulfur is usually of bright-yellow color at 20 °C [36]. Pure orthorhombic a-Ss is, however, of greenish-yellow color at 20 °C but totally colorless at 77 K while commercial sulfur often remains pale-yellow at this temperature [59]. The reasons for this different behavior are twofold. Commercial samples are never pure Ss but besides traces of organic impurities they always contain Sy in concentrations of between 0.1 and 0.5% [59]. Sulfur found as a mineral in Nature sometimes also contains Sy but in addition traces of selenium are quite often present (up to 680 ppm Se, probably as SySe molecules) [60]. These minor components influence the color of the samples at ambient and low temperatures in the sense that a more orange-type of yellow ( egg-yellow ) is recognized. 

Abstract Inorganic polysulfide anions and the related radical anions S play an important role in the redox reactions of elemental sulfur and therefore also in the geobio chemical sulfur cycle. This chapter describes the preparation of the solid polysulfides with up to eight sulfur atoms and univalent cations, as well as their solid state structures, vibrational spectra and their behavior in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. In addition, the highly colored and reactive radical anions S with n = 2, 3, and 6 are discussed, some of which exist in equilibrium with the corresponding diamagnetic dianions. 

The blue color of 83 has been observed in numerous experiments. For example, a brilliant blue color occurs if a potassium thiocyanate melt is heated to temperatures above 300 °C [132] or if eutectic melts of LiCl-KCl (containing some sulfide) are in contact with elemental sulfur [132, 133], if aqueous sodium tetrasulfide is heated to temperatures above 100 °C [134], if alkali polysulfides are dissolved in boiling ethanol or in polar aprotic solvents (see above), or if borate glasses are doped with elemental sulfur [132]. In most of these cases mixtures of much 83 and little 82 will have been present demonstrating the ubiquitous nature of these radicals [12]. 

A solid that contains cations and anions in balanced whole-number ratios is called an ionic compound. Sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, is a simple example. Sodium chloride can form through the vigorous chemical reaction of elemental sodium and elemental chlorine. The appearance and composition of these substances are very different, as Figure 2-24 shows. Sodium is a soft, silver-colored metal that is an array of Na atoms packed closely together. Chlorine is a faintly yellow-green toxic gas made up of diatomic, neutral CI2 molecules. When these two elements react, they form colorless ciystals of NaCl that contain Na and Cl" ions in a 1 1 ratio. 

C02-0037. Iodine is an element whose molecules can move directly from the solid to the gas phase. A sample of solid iodine in a stoppered flask stood undisturbed for several years. As the photo shows, crystals of solid iodine grew on the sides of the flask. Use the principle of dynamic equilibrium to explain at the molecular level what happened. Include an observation about the color of the atmosphere inside the flask. 

The colors of fireworks displays are produced by emission from atomic ions as described in Chapter 7. The explosions of fireworks promote electrons to excited states. The energy level scheme of every element is different, so fireworks manufacturers can change colors by incorporating different elements. Sodium ions emit... 

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