Paramagnetic issue

[Little Etoile]

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Gchem book, passage 9, q 5:



"Reduction of lithium, strontium, sodium, barium, potassium or copper (I) with one electron results in paramagnetic."


How is this possible? If you add one to lithium, don’t you get a full 2s2 shell? So wouldn’t that result in paired electrons?



As always, thanks in advance!

 

[Little Etoile]

Anyone? No takers? This is totally driving me nuts!

 

[sleepy425]

i'd like to see the context. my guess is that it's referring to the most common cations of those elements. in that case, reduction of lithium (+1) would give you paramagnetism. otherwise i'm not sure

 

[amar21]

yeah thats odd

i can see what you mean
it would have to refer to the Cation La+ Na+ etc being reduced

 

[riceman04]

Gchem book, passage 9, q 5:



"Reduction of lithium, strontium, sodium, barium, potassium or copper (I) with one electron results in paramagnetic."


How is this possible? If you add one to lithium, don’t you get a full 2s2 shell? So wouldn’t that result in paired electrons?



As always, thanks in advance!

They are refering to Lithium as an ion. You know that Li as an ion has noble gas e-config (i.e dimagnetic). So if you add an e- it becomes paramagnetic.

Ba ion carries a 2+ charge (noble gas e-config again)

Copper (I)'s e-config: [Ar]3d10...if you add an e- to it it also becomes paramagnetic

hope this helps