is cl paramagnetic or diamagnetic in ground state

Lussy04

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25-01-2025

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Meta Description: Discover whether chlorine (Cl) is paramagnetic or diamagnetic in its ground state. This comprehensive guide explores electron configuration, Hund's rule, and magnetic properties to answer this question definitively. Learn about the key concepts and understand why chlorine exhibits specific magnetic behavior.

Chlorine (Cl), a halogen element, presents an interesting case study in understanding the relationship between electron configuration and magnetic properties. The question of whether it's paramagnetic or diamagnetic in its ground state hinges on its electron arrangement. Let's delve into the details to find the answer.

Understanding Paramagnetism and Diamagnetism

Before examining chlorine, let's clarify the definitions of paramagnetism and diamagnetism. These properties describe how a substance interacts with an external magnetic field.

• Diamagnetism: Diamagnetic materials are weakly repelled by a magnetic field. This is because all electrons are paired in their orbitals, resulting in a net magnetic moment of zero. Many common substances, including water and most organic molecules, exhibit diamagnetism.

• Paramagnetism: Paramagnetic materials are weakly attracted to a magnetic field. This occurs when there are unpaired electrons in the atoms or molecules. These unpaired electrons possess individual magnetic moments that align with an external field, creating a net magnetic moment.

Chlorine's Electron Configuration

To determine chlorine's magnetic properties, we need to examine its electron configuration. Chlorine has an atomic number of 17, meaning it has 17 electrons. Following the Aufbau principle and Hund's rule, its ground state electron configuration is: 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁵.

Note: The Aufbau principle dictates the filling order of electron orbitals, while Hund's rule states that electrons will individually occupy each orbital within a subshell before doubling up.

The key part of this configuration for determining its magnetic property is the 3p subshell. It contains five electrons. Recall that a p subshell can hold a maximum of six electrons distributed across three orbitals (px, py, pz).

Hund's Rule and Unpaired Electrons

According to Hund's rule, these five 3p electrons will first occupy each of the three 3p orbitals individually before pairing up. This means that we will have three orbitals with one electron each, and one orbital with a pair of electrons. Consequently, there's one unpaired electron in the 3p subshell.

Conclusion: Chlorine is Paramagnetic

The presence of that single unpaired electron in chlorine's 3p subshell means that chlorine in its ground state is paramagnetic. The unpaired electron's magnetic moment aligns with an external magnetic field, resulting in a weak attraction. While the attraction is weak, it is demonstrably present and distinguishes chlorine from diamagnetic substances. Therefore, the answer to our question is clear: Cl is paramagnetic in its ground state.

Further Exploration: Other Halogens

It's worth noting that this paramagnetic behavior is a characteristic shared by other halogens in their ground states, like fluorine (F), bromine (Br), and iodine (I). Each possesses unpaired electrons in their valence shell, leading to paramagnetism. Understanding the electron configurations of these elements provides a deeper understanding of periodic trends and chemical properties.

This example illustrates how fundamental principles of electronic structure directly influence macroscopic properties like magnetic behavior. By understanding electron configurations and applying Hund's rule, we can accurately predict whether an atom or ion will be paramagnetic or diamagnetic.