Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/paper-1/a5/a/i/solution
Past exam of the chemistry A course of the University of Cambridge 2024 Paper 1 A5 a i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
The ideal eclipsed ion has D4h molecular point group symmetry. Put the Mo–Mo axis along , with the metal atoms at , and orient the four chloride positions around each metal along .
There is a axis, perpendicular twofold axes, a horizontal plane through the midpoint, vertical mirror planes and an inversion centre at the bond midpoint. The eclipsed arrangement makes the two chloride squares coincide in projection along . These labels refer to the ideal molecular geometry, rather than small crystal-packing distortions.
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