Chemistry / Unit 12 Chem 2403 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Spectrochemical Series: Weak- vs. Strong-Field Ligands
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The idea
The spectrochemical series ranks ligands by crystal field splitting size, from weak-field ligands splitting d orbitals slightly to strong-field ligands splitting them widely.
In practice
Cyanide, a strong-field ligand, produces a much larger splitting than iodide, a weak-field ligand, in a given complex.
Where people slip
A ligand's position here depends on its electronic character, not the identity or charge of the metal it bonds.
Your place on the trail
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