[mythonline]

Hello,

I have been wondering why O3 is created as it occurs (one Oxygen atom in the middle, with double covalent bond, and single covalent bond to another Oxygen atom), and not creating a triangle shaped oxygen (each Oxygen atom has 2xsingle covalent bond to the other Oxygen atoms).

Thanks.

[sjb]

Hello,

I have been wondering why O3 is created as it occurs (one Oxygen atom in the middle, with double covalent bond, and single covalent bond to another Oxygen atom), and not creating a triangle shaped oxygen (each Oxygen atom has 2xsingle covalent bond to the other Oxygen atoms).

Thanks.

There is evidence (NMR/ IR I think), that the oxygens are not equivalent, but also at higher levels you can work out that the equilateral triangle you propose is actually higher in energy than the dipolar structure

[mythonline]

Hello,

I have been wondering why O3 is created as it occurs (one Oxygen atom in the middle, with double covalent bond, and single covalent bond to another Oxygen atom), and not creating a triangle shaped oxygen (each Oxygen atom has 2xsingle covalent bond to the other Oxygen atoms).

Thanks.

There is evidence (NMR/ IR I think), that the oxygens are not equivalent, but also at higher levels you can work out that the equilateral triangle you propose is actually higher in energy than the dipolar structure

Can you please explain why my triangle is higher in energy please?

The only explanation I could think of, is statistically,

lets say theoretically, 1/X of the oxygen at a specific moment would change from O2 to O-2, and then it would still need 2 more O-2 atoms to change to a triangle (1/X^3).

The triangle would last much much more time then the Ozone, but it would still return to O2.

so overall the triangle is more stable, but created much less.

[sjb]

I'm not sure I follow your reasoning, can you try and explain it a bit more?

I think it's more to do with sterics and repulsion of lone pairs etc, a bit like propene being lower in energy than cyclopropane (though of course both these exist).

[DevaDevil]

about ozone, check out some questions posted in our questions and answers board at the dept of education here:

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03464.htm
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem99/chem99039.htm


and check out the links given within.