Answer:
The effective number of bonds in sulfate ion is 1.5
Explanation:
The number of chemical bonds between two atoms is known as the bond order.
In covalent bonds between two atoms, a single bond has a bond order of one, a double bond has a bond order of two, a triple bond has a bond order of three.
If there are more than two atoms in a molecule, the effective number of bonds can be determined by applying the following steps:
1. Draw the Lewis structure.
2. Count the total number of bonds.
3. Count the number of bond groups between individual atoms.
4. Divide the number of bonds between atoms by the total number of bond groups in the molecule.
For the sulfate ion, the resonance structure is shown in the attachment below. From the structure;
Total number of bonds = (2 × 2) + (2 × 1) = 6
Total number of bond groups = 4
Effective number of bonds = 6/4 = 1.5
Therefore, the effective number of bonds in sulfate ion is 1.5
