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The inert-pair effect is the tendency of the two electrons in the outermost atomic s-orbital to remain unshared in compounds of post-transition metals. The term inert-pair effect is often used in relation to the increasing stability of oxidation states that are two less than the group valency for the heavier elements of groups 13 , 14 , 15 and 16 .
Relativistic quantum chemistry combines relativistic mechanics with quantum chemistry to calculate elemental properties and structure, especially for the heavier elements of the periodic table. A prominent example is an explanation for the color of gold : due to relativistic effects, it is not silvery like most other metals.
Computation chemists see the split as a change of the second quantum number l from 1 to 1 ⁄ 2 and 3 ⁄ 2 for the more stabilized and less stabilized parts of the 7p subshell, respectively: the 7p 1/2 subshell acts as a second inert pair, though not as inert as the 7s electrons, while the 7p 3/2 subshell can easily participate in chemistry.
The effect is weak because it depends on the magnitude of the induced magnetic moment. It depends on the number of electron pairs and the chemical nature of the atoms to which they belong. This means that the effects are additive, and a table of "diamagnetic contributions", or Pascal's constants , can be put together.
Inductive effect (chemical bonding) Inert-pair effect (atomic physics) (inorganic chemistry) (quantum chemistry) inertial supercharging effect (automobile) (engine technology) Inner-platform effect (anti-patterns) International Fisher effect (economics and finance) (finance theories) (interest rates) Inverse Doppler effect (Doppler effects ...
Due to the inert pair effect, the 6s electron pair is relativistically stabilised and it is more difficult to get these involved in chemical bonding than it is for the heavier elements. Thus, very few electrons are available for metallic bonding, similar to the neighboring elements mercury and lead .
Gallium can form compounds with the oxidation states +1, +2 and +3. Indium is like gallium, but its +1 compounds are more stable than those of the lighter elements. The strength of the inert-pair effect is maximal in thallium, which is generally only stable in the oxidation state of +1, although the +3 state is seen in some compounds.
The effect of the lanthanide contraction is noticeable up to platinum (Z = 78), after which it is masked by a relativistic effect known as the inert-pair effect. [citation needed] Due to lanthanide contraction, the 5 following observations can be drawn: The size of Ln 3+ ions regularly decreases with atomic number.