Chemistry 401

Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry

University of Rhode Island

Practice Problems

Symmetry & Point Groups

1. Determine the symmetry elements and assign the point group of (a) NH₂Cl, (b) CO₃^2–, (c) SiF₄, (d) HCN, (e) SiFClBrI, (f) BF₄^–.

2. Determine the point group of SnF₄, SeF₄, and BrF₄^–.

3. Consider a molecule IF₃O₂ (with I as the central atom). How many isomers are possible? Which is likely to have the lowest energy? Assign point group designations to each isomer.

4. Determine the point group for the following molecules: a) NH₃; b) SF₆; c) CCl₄; d) H₂C=CH₂; e) H₂C=CF₂.

5. Find the point groups for the following species: SO₄^2–, SO₃, PCl₅, PCl₃, and SiF₆^2–.

6. Find the point group for the following molecules or ions: a) sulfur hexafluoride; b) fac–tribromotrichloroferrate(II) ion; c) tetraamminecopper(II) ion (ignore H atoms); d) decacarbonyldimanganese(0); e) chlorotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I).

7. Find the point group for the following species; a) mer–triamminetrichlorocobalt(III); b) tetracarbonylnickel(0); c) ferrocene.

 

 

Answers