Question

Would you expect salts of the gold(I) ion, Au⁺, to be colored? Explain.

a) Yes, colored; Presence of d⁹ electronic configuration
b) No, not colored; Stable electronic configuration
c) Yes, colored; Transition between d orbitals
d) No, not colored; Complete d orbital filling

Answer 1

Gold(I) ion (Au⁺) salts are expected to be colored due to their d⁹ electronic configuration, which allows for electron c) transitions between d orbitals, absorbing certain wavelengths of light.

Step-by-step explanation:

Salts of the gold(I) ion, Au⁺, would be expected to be colored. This is because the ion has a partially filled d subshell (d⁹ electronic configuration), and such configurations in transition metal ions typically lead to color in the compounds.

Ions like Au⁺ have the potential for electron transitions between d orbitals that can absorb certain wavelengths of light, which in turn gives rise to color.

Moreover, gold(I) does not have a filled or empty d subshell, which would otherwise tend to produce colorless compounds. Therefore, the correct answer is "Yes, colored; Transition between d orbitals".