Created by John Lee, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (john-lee@utc.

edu) and posted on VIPEr

(www.ionicviper.org) on June 18, 2013. Copyright 2013. This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike License. To view a copy of this license visit
http://creativecommons.org/about/license/.

Point Group Practice

Chemistry 4320

Due: xxxxx

Class Homework

Directions: Assign point groups for all molecules prior to the due date. I encourage you to work
with others in the class to ensure that everyone gets an answer to all problems. In class, you
will be picked to assign a point group to a molecule below. You will be allowed to use a model
kit, the board, and/or document camera in order to explain how you determined the point group.
Attendance is mandatory if you want to receive a completion grade for this assignment.

1. For the following compounds: draw the correct Lewis structure, predict the geometry
and identify the point group.
a. NH2Cl

b. CO32-

c. SiF4

d. HCN

e. SiFClBrI

f. SO42-

2. Identify the point group of the following coordination compounds:

N H
C l

C u

C l

H 3N

Pt

O
N C

C O

Br

Pt

Br

Re

N C

C l

Pd

C l

CN
O H

C O
Cl

C l
CN

C l

Cl

Br

O C

C l

O C

Cl

Fe

N
CO

Ru

N
Cl

N H
CN
CN

H 2O

M o

C l

C l
O H

3. Identify the point group for the two conformation of ferrocene:

Fe

e c lip s e d

Fe

s ta g g e re d

Created by John Lee, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (john-lee@utc.edu) and posted on VIPEr

(www.ionicviper.org) on June 18, 2013. Copyright 2013. This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike License. To view a copy of this license visit
http://creativecommons.org/about/license/.

4. Identify the point group for the following compounds you will prepare in lab (Me groups
are used in place of the actual nBu groups on the Rh compound):

O
H 2O

C r
O

O
O

Cr

3+

O
O

N
O H

M o

O
O C

C O
C O

C o

N
N

C u
N

N
N

N
M e

N
N

R h
O C

C O

M e

C r - C r q u a d r u p le b o n d