Fundamentholfundamenthol
JEE Advanced2026Paper 2CHEM-III
Q.

Consider that the coordinating atoms of the ligands in cis-[Co(NH)Cl]Cl and mer-[Co(NH)Cl] octahedral complexes are at the vertices of an octahedron. The sum of total number of the triangular faces in both the complexes having one N atom and two Cl atoms at their corners is _____.

Solution

Setup. An octahedron has triangular faces. Each face is defined by three adjacent vertices (donor atoms). We count faces whose three vertices contain exactly one N (from NH) and two Cl.

cis-[Co(NH)Cl]Cl. Donor set on the octahedron: N and Cl, with the two Cl on adjacent (cis) vertices. The two Cl atoms share an edge, and that edge is shared by exactly triangular faces. Each of those faces contains both Cl atoms plus one of the adjacent N atoms, so each is a (1 N, 2 Cl) face. The other faces have either three N atoms or one Cl with two N. Count: faces.

mer-[Co(NH)Cl]. In the meridional isomer the three Cl atoms occupy three vertices forming a -shape, i.e. one Cl at the centre with two Cl trans across it on the perpendicular axis. Pair the central Cl with each of the two outer Cls (these are cis-pairs sharing an edge). Each such Cl-Cl edge is shared by faces, and the third vertex of each such face is one of the three N atoms, giving a (1 N, 2 Cl) face. That gives faces. The two outer Cls are trans to each other and do not share an edge, so they generate no extra (1 N, 2 Cl) faces.

Total. .

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