Name: Le Viet Anh

Student ID: 20170763

Group: 11

Group Partner: LEE ZHOU FENG

ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE

I/ Theoretical Background.

- Within molecules of compounds are electrons, vibrating bonds, and

rotating atoms, all of which can absorb energy. Because every compound
is different, every molecule of a given compound possesses its own
unique set of electronic, vibrational and rotational energy states, which
are said to be quantized. When incident electromagnetic (EM) radiation
falls on a molecule, the radiation absorbed (the absorbed light) is energy
equal to the difference between two energy states, placing the molecule in
an excited state. The remainder of the EM radiation passes through the
molecule unaffected.
- EM radiation is energy as well as light, and light has wavelengths and
frequencies. The relationship between the energy, E, and its wavelengths,
λ, and frequencies, ν, is expressed by the equation:
hc
E= = hν
𝜆
where h is Planck’s constant, 6.63×10−34 J.s/photon; c equals the
velocity of the EM radiation, 3.00×108 m/s; λ is the wavelength of the
EM radiation in meters; ν is its frequency in reciprocal seconds (𝑠 −1 ).
- EM radiation includes not only the wavelengths of the visible region (400
to 700 nm) but also those that are shorter (e.g., the ultraviolet and X-ray
regions) and longer (e.g., the infrared, microwave, and radio wave
regions).
 II/ Experiment Procedure and Results.

A. The Mercury Spectrum.

1. Wavelengths of the Visible Lines in the Mercury Spectrum.

Color Wavelengths Line Position

Violet 404.7 nm 8.5 cm
Violet 407.8 nm
Blue 435.8 nm 7.6 cm
Yellow 546.1 nm 4.4 cm
Orange 577.0 nm 3.5 cm
Orange 579.1 nm

 3.2 cm difference between the blue emission line spectrum and

yellow emission line spectrum for elements is equal to 110.3 nm
difference in wavelength.

2. Results.

Spectrum Emission Line Position Emission Wavelengths Calculation Color Element

(cm) Line Chosen (nm)
(cm)
5.7−4.4
1cm 3.2cm 5.7cm 5.7cm λ = 546.1 - × 110.3 Green
3.2
= 501.3 (nm)
1 7.6−7.3 Helium
6.0cm 6.6cm 7.3cm 7.3cm λ = 435.8 + 3.2 × 110.3 Blue
= 446.1 (nm)
8.9−8.5
8.5cm 8.7cm 8.9cm 8.9cm λ = 404.7 - 3.2 × 110.3 Violet
= 390.9 (nm)
3.5−1.6
1.6 cm 1.6 cm λ = 579.1 + 3.2 × 110.3 Red
= 642.5 (nm)
5.4−4.4
5.4 cm 5.4 cm λ = 546.1 - 3.2 × 110.3 Green
5 = 511.6 (nm) Cadmium
7.6−6.2
6.2 cm 6.2 cm λ = 435.8 + 3.2 × 110.3 Blue
= 484.06 (nm)
7.6−6.6
6.6 cm 6.6 cm λ = 435.8 + 3.2 × 110.3 Blue
= 470.0 (nm)
 B. Atomic Structure.
1. Results.
Elements Emission Line Spectra
Mercury Yellow, Green, Indigo-Violet
Hydrogen Red, Blue (Green-Blue), Violet
Argon Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Violet
Helium Red, Orange, Green-Blue, Indigo
Deuterium Red, Blue (Shade of all colors)

C. Molecular Structure.
Molecule Valence Bonding Nonbonding VSEPR Approx. Geometric
or Images Shell Electron Electron Formula Bond Shape
Molecular Electron Pairs Pairs Angle
Ion Pairs

CH4 4 4 0 AX4 109.5 ̊ Tetrahedral

CO2 4 4 0 AX2 180 ̊ Linear

Trigonal
NH3 4 3 1 AX3E 108 ̊ Pyramidal

H2O 4 2 2 AX2E2 104 ̊ Bent

Seesaw
SF4 5 4 1 AX4E 88 ̊ (Irregular
Tetrahedral)
 D. Discussions and Conclusions.
I. First experiment:
 Our calculations of the wavelengths of 2 elements have some
minor difference with the real wavelengths and I think it was because
of some reasons:
 The error of the Emission line spectra for selected elements in
the back cover of the book because when they print the book, the
position of the line may be changed a little bit.
 The smallest division (1mm) of the ruler is not enough to find
the exact the position of the line so sometimes I round up or
round down the value to the nearest position.
 Therefore, when we apply this slightly error measurement to
the calculations, the final wavelengths’ results will have some
differences with the real wavelengths.
 For the fifth emission line spectrum in the back cover of the book,
the results that we calculate are very close with both the wavelengths
of Cadmium and Zinc:

Calculated Cadmium’s Zinc’s Difference with Difference with

wavelengths Wavelengths (nm) Wavelengths (nm) Cadmium’s wavelengths Zinc’s wavelengths
(nm) ∆(λ) (nm) ∆(λ) (nm)
470.0 (nm) 467.8 (nm) 468.0 (nm) 2.2 (nm) 2.0 (nm)
484.06 (nm) 479.9 (nm) 481.1 (nm) 4.16 (nm) 2.96 (nm)
511.6 (nm) 508.6 (nm) 507.0 (nm) 3.0 (nm) 4.6 (nm)
642.5 (nm) 643.8 (nm) 647.9 (nm) 1.3 (nm) 5.4 (nm)

 In the table, I calculate the difference between the calculated

wavelengths and the wavelengths of these two metals. We found
that the difference of Cadmium is smaller than that of Zinc.
Therefore, we choose Cadmium as the element which corresponds
with the fifth emission line spectrum in the back cover of the book.
II. Second experiment:
 Each element has unique emission line spectra because each atom
possesses its own unique set of electronic, vibrational and rotational
energy states, which are said to be quantized. Therefore, when the
electromagnetic (EM) radiation falls on a molecule, the radiation
 absorbed (the absorbed light) is different. Thus, we see each different
element has it owns emission line spectra.
 My observations of the emission spectra lines of 5 elements have
some difference with my partner and I think that the different colors
were the results of the unique complex designed detection system of
our eyes.
III. Molecular structure:
 Some molecules have irregular structures with the other
molecules which have the same valence shell electron pairs. This is
because these molecules have the nonbonding electron pairs. Since the
repulsion of electron-negative ion is stronger than the repulsion of
negative ion-negative ion, the angles of these molecules are smaller
than the molecules without nonbonding electron pairs.
 For example:
 H2O has 2 nonbonding electron pairs so the angle of H2O
(104 ̊) is smaller than the angle of CO2 (180 )̊ which does not
have nonbonding electron pairs. Therefore, H2O has the bent
geometric shape instead of the linear geometric shape of CO2.
 NH3 has 1 nonbonding electron pair so the angle of NH3 (108 ̊)
is smaller than the angle of SiH4 (109.5 ̊) which does not have
nonbonding electron pairs. Therefore, NH3 has the trigonal
pyramidal geometric shape instead of the trigonal planar of BH3.
 SF4 has 1 nonbonding electron pair so the angle of SF4 (88 )̊ is
smaller than the angle of PCl5 (90 ̊) which does not have
nonbonding electron pairs. Therefore, SF4 has the seesaw
geometric shape instead of the trigonal bipyramidal geometric
shape of PCl5.
E. References.
- Laboratory Manual for Principles of General Chemistry (9th edition)
- Principles of Modern Chemistry (7th Edition)