Insights Blog
-- Browse All Articles --
Physics Articles
Physics Tutorials
Physics Guides
Physics FAQ
Math Articles
Math Tutorials
Math Guides
Math FAQ
Education Articles
Education Guides
Bio/Chem Articles
Technology Guides
Computer Science Tutorials
Forums
Intro Physics Homework Help
Advanced Physics Homework Help
Precalculus Homework Help
Calculus Homework Help
Bio/Chem Homework Help
Engineering Homework Help
Trending
Featured Threads
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Intro Physics Homework Help
Advanced Physics Homework Help
Precalculus Homework Help
Calculus Homework Help
Bio/Chem Homework Help
Engineering Homework Help
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
More options
Contact us
Close Menu
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Forums
Homework Help
Biology and Chemistry Homework Help
Why is the formula for lithium nitride Li3N and not Li2N2?
Reply to thread
Message
[QUOTE="Borek, post: 4489359, member: 23711"] Welcome to chemistry :wink: Just because you can draw a Lewis structure (most likely linking N=N) doesn't mean such a molecule will exist. There is no simple rule that will help here - other than "apart from carbon, most elements don't create chains in typical molecules". But there are plenty of counterexamples, so even this rule doesn't have to work always. Seriously, problem is, at the beginning you are trying to learn several simplified rules that will help you deal with the most basic compounds. These rules have to be simplified, but as they are simplified, they work only for a small subset of compounds. And the world around is freaking complicated, it doesn't want to be described by simple rules. Even complicating these rules doesn't help much. The most general rules are those saying something around the lines "this is a way atoms arrange to obtain minimum energy". We even know methods to calculate this minimum energy, but it is not something that you can do with a pen and paper (unless for an isolated hydrogen atom), you need fast computer and sophisticated software for that. And even then sometimes the reality shows the middle finger - which only makes our efforts to understand what is going on more interesting! [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Post reply
Forums
Homework Help
Biology and Chemistry Homework Help
Why is the formula for lithium nitride Li3N and not Li2N2?
Back
Top