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Please explain why dioxygen difluoride is so dangerous
I just read this article that mentioned that dioxygen difluoride is very dangerous. The terms it uses are "awful", "violently hideous" and "deeply alarming".
But I couldn't get a handle on exactly what it would do that warrants those descriptions.
Coomie
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Why is the minus sign (-) not allowed in reaction equations?
Recently in my chemistry class, the teacher told us that while writing "half equations" (such as a sodium atom losing one electron to form a sodium ion) we were not to use a simple minus sign. We were only allowed to use a plus sign. For example,…
James Smith
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Which equilibrium constant is appropriate to use?
I have learnt that the standard free energy change is related to the equilibrium constant of a reaction by,
$$\Delta G^\circ = -RT \ln K$$
Here, does $K$ refer to $K_p$ or $K_c$?
Also, please give me the derivation of this formula.
On the net, I saw…
Newton
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Stability of carbocations: CF3+ vs CH3+
Is $\ce{CF_3+}$ more stable than $\ce{CH_3+}$?
In $\ce{CF_3+}$, there is $\ce{C-F}$ back bonding that increases stability of the carbocations. But -I effect of $\ce{F}$ dominates +R effect and this decreases the carbocation stability. How can I…
Aditya Dev
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24
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5 answers
Why does hydrogen fluoride have a boiling point so much lower than that of water?
$\ce{F}$ has more unshared electron pairs and is very electronegative, so $\ce{H}$ of another $\ce{HF}$ molecule can $\ce{H}$-bond with it.
$\ce{HF}$ has normal boiling point of $\pu{19.5^oC}$ while $\ce{H2O}$, as you know, has normal boiling of…
Acnologia
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Is HF the least acidic hydrogen halide?
Fluorine is the most electronegative halogen and therefore, there is larger difference in electronegativity between the atoms of $\ce{HF}$ than any other hydrogen halide, which means the positive charge on hydrogen atom is the greatest in this…
Apoorv
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2 answers
Why are the majority of cleaning solutions basic?
When testing for pH for common household cleaning products, such as dishwasher fluid, I noticed that majority of them tend to be basic? Why is that? Do acid make good cleaning solutions as well?
user10037
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3 answers
Why are Silicates solid while carbon dioxide is a gas?
I was under the impression that chemistry almost exclusively involves valence electrons because there isn't enough energy to strip off electrons located closer to the nucleus.
If that is true, and elements in the same period have similar properties…
Dov
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24
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Platinum group metals: Why are platinum and palladium great catalysts and not the others?
Platinum and palladium are great catalysts. At the same time, other metals of the so-called platinum group metals are not. What are the atomic level reasons for this?
sloupioc
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2 answers
Why do socks stink?
What chemicals are responsible for the stench emanating from socks? If it's just sweat, why don't underwear or vests stink as much? Which gas am I inhaling when smelling socks to decide whether they need a wash?
Shc
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Interlocked cyclic compounds
Being new to chemistry, there may ought to be some properties I couldn't understand fully. One of them being cyclic compounds.
One particular question about this is, whether these cyclic compounds, say benzene rings 'link' in-between one another…
čaritisio
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For a given element do heavier isotopes form stronger bonds than lighter isotopes?
I know that $\ce{C-D}$ and $\ce{C-T}$ bonds are stronger than $\ce{C-H}$ bonds, but is this generally true for isotopes of all elements? (By isotopes I mean stable ones with large half lives.)
Hritik Narayan
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1 answer
Why does sunlight cause colors to fade?
If you leave something outside, its colors seem to inevitably fade or bleach due to exposure. Is this due to UV absorption? What sort of mechanism causes this - is it that man-made dyes deform on a molecular level? Are there notable materials that…
zahbaz
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Ring contraction in a carbocation due to ring strain and back bonding
Today our teacher told us that the following carbocation rearrangement occurs due to back bonding. I could not really follow what he meant. Can someone please explain what is actually happening during the following carbocation rearrangement, and…
user14857
24
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3 answers
Why is there a difference in the colours of K₂Cr₂O₇ and K₂CrO₄?
In both the compounds the oxidation state of chromium is +6 so why is there a difference in the colours of their aqueous solutions?
$\ce{K2Cr2O7}$ is red-yellow and $\ce{K2CrO4}$ is bright yellow.
I am leaning towards the fact that due to the…
Agyey Arya
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