Magnetic measurements on an octahedral complex of a transition metal ion show that it contains one unpaired electron. Which of the following d-electron configurations of the metal ion are consistent with this fact?
Select the most complete answer.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of one unpaired electron indicates that the d-electron configuration must have an odd number of electrons in the d orbitals. Among the given options, only d¹, d⁵, d⁷, and d⁹ have odd numbers of electrons in the d orbitals. Therefore, option D is the correct answer. Option A does not have enough electrons in the d orbitals to accommodate one unpaired electron, and options B and C have electron configurations that are not possible for a transition metal ion. Option E is not the correct answer because not all d-electron configurations are possible for a transition metal ion, and the question specifies that the complex contains one unpaired electron.

Magnetic Measurements on an Octahedral Complex of a Transition Metal