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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: spirochete on February 08, 2009, 09:12:42 PM

Title: Colors of Cu(II) and Cu(I) based on electron configs
Post by: spirochete on February 08, 2009, 09:12:42 PM

Cu(II) forms brightly colored solutions and Cu(I) is colorless.  Why is this?

Cu(I)'s valence electrons have the configuration 3d¹⁰ whereas Cu(II) has the configuration 3d⁹

Does having unpaired electrons give Cu(II) solutions their color?  That's my best guess but even if it's true I don't understand how it works.

Title: Re: Colors of Cu(II) and Cu(I) based on electron configs
Post by: Borek on February 09, 2009, 02:57:25 AM

Start with the very basic question - why most of the transition metal ions are colored?