Develop a Born Haber cycle diagram for the compound and indicate how you would
determine its lattice energy;
a) KF
Answer
First thing I would do would be to write the formation equation for this ionic
compound;
The formation equation would be;
K(s) + 1/2F2(g) ----> KF(s)
Now we need to develop the additional terms that would allow us to find the
lattice energy. First let's focus on potassium. What must we do to potassium
to convert it to a gaseous ion?
We must convert potassium in the solid state to potassium in the gaseous phase,
then we need to ionize one electron off potassium to get K+.
K(s) --Hsublimation--> K(g)
then
K(g) ----> K+(g) + 1e- (I.E. for K)
Now lets focus on F2. How would we convert F2(g) to
F-(g)?
We must convert the F2(g) to a F(g), then we need to add an electron
to the F(g) atom to form F-(g).
1/2F2(g) -----> F(g) (Hbond energy
for F2)
then
F(g) + 1e- -----> F-(g) (E.A. for
F(g))
Now all we need to do is to take the K+(g) and F-(g)
to form KF. That is the lattice energy.
Since,
Hformation(for KF) = Hsublimation(for
K) + I.E (for K) + 1/2Hbond energy (forF2) + E.A. (for
F) + U (KF)
Now we just need to rearrange this equation to solve for U (KF);
U (KF) = Hsublimation(for K) + I.E (for K) + 1/2Hbond
energy (forF2) + E.A. (for F) - Hformation(for KF)