When a metal ion in aqueous solution interacts with a monodentate ligand, the li

Question

When a metal ion in aqueous solution interacts with a monodentate ligand, the ligand can displace water molecules coordinated to the metal center only when it is a stronger Lewis base than water. As the water molecules are replaced by ligands, you need to consider the equilibrium at each step. The number of steps depends on the coordination number of the metal ion.

The equilibrium calculated at each step is called the stability constant or formation constant. For example, [Ni(NH3)6]2+ is formed from [Ni(H2O)6]2+ and aqueous NH3 in six steps, with the successive formation of [Ni(H2O)5(NH3)]2+, [Ni(H2O)4(NH3)2]2+, [Ni(H2O)3(NH3)3]2+, [Ni(H2O)2(NH3)4]2+, and [Ni(H2O)(NH3)5]2+, respectively.

The overall formation constant (Kf) is the product of the formation constant of the individual steps:

?n=Kf=K1

Explanation / Answer

Answer:  As you pointed out, the value of Kc for a multistep process involving an equilibrium at each step is the product of the individual equilibrium constants.

Kc = K1 x K2 x K3 x K4
Kc = 1.90 x 3.90 x 1.00 x 1.50 x 10^12
Kc = 1.11x10^13

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