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Activity 1: Fuel Molecules Molecular Geometries at Nanoscale

You have studied bonding in both ionic compounds and metals. Now, we turn our attention to compounds that have bonds of electron sharing covalent bonds. Compounds with covalent bonds between the nonmetallic elements have basic structural units called molecules. We will first use this activity to get a basic understanding of molecules and their structure. Once we understand the basics behind molecules, then we can learn how to best represent the nanoscopic view and predict properties of molecules based upon their geometries. In lecture, you heard about covalent bonds between atoms and the resulting molecules. Be sure you understand the definition of the terms molecule and its proper applications. Molecules can be represented in a number of ways, which we have discussed briefly in class. Today you are going to get a look at the threedimensional structure of the atom to appreciate how these molecules orient themselves in space and compare this three-dimensional shape to other representations including structural formulas and molecular formulas. Molecular formulas, such as CH4, provide the elements covalently bonding, but they provide no information concerning the actual arrangement of the atoms in the molecule. Structural formulas, on the other hand, give some information on the arrangement of the molecule, as you can see in the examples (Figures 1 3) for methane (CH4) below.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3 .

Each of these is considered a structural formula, with Figures 2 and 3 providing a bit more information on the actual geometry behind the molecule. In Figure 3, the darker wedge (flying wedge) represents a bond coming out of the structural formula and the dotted line represents a bond going back into the page. While helpful, each of these is still two-dimensional; actual molecular shapes are three-dimensional. To help you visualize the three-dimensional molecule, we will work with molecular models. In this experiment, you will use our molecule kits to help you visualize the shapes of molecules. The model kits consist of multicolor spheres representing the atoms, short and long gray links to represent single and multiple bonds respectively, and tan orbitals to better represent the geometry of the molecular orbitals involved in bonding. Table 1 summarizes what atom each colored sphere represents in a molecule. Table 1: Model Key, Elements Element Carbon Hydrogen Oxygen Nitrogen Sulfur Fluorine Iodine Bromine Chlorine Boron Symbol C H O N S F I Br Cl B Color Black White Red Blue Yellow Gray Green Green Green Purple (3 holes) Number of Holes 4 1 2 4 2 1 1 1 1 3 (or 5 use 3) Angle 109.5
o o

105 o 109.5 o 105

120

P R E P A R I N G REVIEWING STRUCTURES LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Reread the introduction to this activity. Once finished, answer the following questions.

1. What types of atoms typically covalently bond? 2. Define molecule. 3. Explain how the periodic table can predict how many bonds each covalently bonding atom will
probably make. This trend is also a very good rule of thumb, but will have notable exceptions.

4. What is the molar mass of carbon? What do you think the molar mass is of methane, mentioned
in the introduction? As always, include an objective for this activity and share that objective with a teammate or laboratory partner. If you have questions during the activity, be sure to ask your instructor.

E X P E R I M E N T I N G COLLECTING DATA & PREDICTING

Building molecules
In your experimenting section you will start at table spanning both columns of the investigating section. The table will have five columns: molecule name, molecular formula, Lewis dot structure, structural formula, molar mass, and instructors initials. (Your instructor will sign off on a molecule after you have built it, so I know you are building the right things.) Make each row as you go, so that you arent trying to cram a complicated drawing into a small space! Be careful with the models. They may just be plastic, but they are expensive, well-designed bits of plastic. Keep the kit organized and all of the parts on the table (i.e. no model fights, please).

Part A Electron Geometries of Basic Molecules

1. Construct models of water, methane (CH4), and ammonia (NH3). Each of these molecules forms shapes which represent certain molecular geometries or arrangements of hybrid orbitals, or the orbitals that result from the covalent bonding of the atoms. Methane is referred to as tetrahedral in shape. As you can see in the Lewis dot structure, both water and ammonia have electrons clouds that are tetrahedral, but since lone pairs are involved, the geometry in the models is slightly different. We call the resulting molecular geometry of ammonia trigonal pyramidal, and the resulting molecular geometry of water bent. 2. Molecules can also have a linear arrangement of both the electron geometries and the molecular geometries of the molecular orbitals. The diatomics of nitrogen gas (N2), and oxygen gas (O2), as well as carbon dioxide gas (CO2) are examples of these. Construct these models and complete the chart for each. 3. Besides nitrogen gas and oxygen gas, there are other elements that covalently bond to themselves. These are referred to as diatomic elements. These diatomic elements are hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine. Create diatomic hydrogen and bromine. Underneath the structural formula in your table, name the shape.

Part B Organic Compounds

1. Organic compounds are compounds based on the element, carbon. There are different classes of organic compounds. Some have single bonds, and those are called alkanes. Some alkanes include methane (which you built in Part A), ethane (C2H6) and octane (C8H18). Construct these two models and complete the chart for each. Do not draw Lewis dot structures for the organics. 2. Some organic compounds have double bonds, and those are called alkenes. The most basic alkene is ethene (C2H4), and another example is propene (C3H6). Construct these two models and complete the chart for each. 3. Organic molecules have groups of atoms bonded to them that interact or react in predicable ways. These groups of atoms are called functional groups. Four functional groups that are significant are hydroxyl (-OH), amine (-NHx), carboxyl (-COOH) and thiol (-SH). Build each functional group and attach it to ethane (built in step 1 of Part B).

A N A L Y Z I N G EVAPORATION & INTERMOLECULAR FORCES

Reading: Fuel Molecules

Check Schoology for a reading pertaining to this activity.

Questions: Fuel Molecules

1. Draw the following molecules electron dot structures and describe their molecular geometries. a. Cl2 b. CH2Cl2 c. Urea 2. Seltzer water is a mixture of aqueous carbon dioxide, CO2(aq), and aqueous sodium chloride, NaCl(aq). Draw this mixture at the nanoscale. 3. Investigate the structures for ethane, ethanol and ethyne. Compare and contrast the structures of these organic compounds.
Figure 1: amino acid - cysteine

4. Take a look at Figure 1 to the right. Rewrite this in your notebook. Circle and name the functional groups. 5. Traditional fuel molecules used today from coal and petroleum that have the most energy are made of long chains of carbons and contain no oxygen. Based on this, what type of molecules from Part B do you predict contain the most potential energy? 6. One of the components of jet fuel is a long chain of 14 carbons all single bonded, surrounded by hydrogen atoms. What is the formula and molar mass for this compound? 7. Alcohols are single-bonded carbon chains that contain a hydroxyl group and are named by dropping the final e and adding -ol. What do you predict is the structure and formula for ethanol? (Hint: You already build this in Part B.) 8. If ethanols potential energy is described as 28.9 kJ/g, how many kJ of potential energy are in 1.00 mole of ethanol? (Hint: This is a multistep problem.) No critical thinking for this activity. Youve contemplated the nanoscale enough for this one!