Question

Werner postulated that octahedral, tetrahedral and square planar geometrical shapes are more common in coordination compounds of ________

(a) alkali metals

(b) lanthanides

(c) actinides

(d) transition metals

I had been asked this question in an online quiz.

My enquiry is from Werner’s Theory of Coordination Compounds in chapter Coordination Compounds of Chemistry – Class 12

Answer 1

Right option is (d) transition metals

The explanation: Transition metals bond a bit differently from main group elements. They form coordinate covalent bonds and are often the central metal ion/atom of coordination complexes. Thus, octahedral, tetrahedral and square planar shapes are more common in transition metal central atoms.