Question
In the image provided below, a student is using tennis balls to symbolize calcium (Ca) atoms and golf balls to symbolize fluorine (F) atoms while creating a model of calcium fluoride molecule. By referring to the periodic table, which diagram accurately represents the model of a stable ionic molecule, specifically calcium fluoride?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To create a model of a stable ionic molecule for calcium fluoride (CaF2), it's important to understand the components involved. Calcium (Ca) is a metal that typically loses two electrons to form a Ca²⁺ cation. Fluorine (F), on the other hand, is a non-metal that gains one electron to form an F⁻ anion. Since calcium fluoride consists of one calcium ion and two fluoride ions, the ratio is 1:2.
When modeling this with tennis balls representing the calcium ions (Ca²⁺) and golf balls representing the fluoride ions (F⁻), you would need one tennis ball connected to two golf balls. The proper depiction should have one larger tennis ball (representing Ca) surrounded by two smaller golf balls (representing F) to visually convey how the calcium ion interacts with the two fluoride ions to create the ionic compound.
Hence, the correct diagram would show the tennis ball (Ca) at the center, bonded or adjacent to two golf balls (F) to indicate that there are two fluoride ions for every calcium ion in the structure of calcium fluoride (CaF2). If you refer to your periodic table, remember that calcium is in group 2, and fluorine is in group 17, confirming this ionic relationship.
When modeling this with tennis balls representing the calcium ions (Ca²⁺) and golf balls representing the fluoride ions (F⁻), you would need one tennis ball connected to two golf balls. The proper depiction should have one larger tennis ball (representing Ca) surrounded by two smaller golf balls (representing F) to visually convey how the calcium ion interacts with the two fluoride ions to create the ionic compound.
Hence, the correct diagram would show the tennis ball (Ca) at the center, bonded or adjacent to two golf balls (F) to indicate that there are two fluoride ions for every calcium ion in the structure of calcium fluoride (CaF2). If you refer to your periodic table, remember that calcium is in group 2, and fluorine is in group 17, confirming this ionic relationship.