Crystal Field Theory: Splitting, CFSE and the Spectrochemical Series

August 30, 2026

| Chemical Science Exams, Inorganic Chemistry

Inorganic Chemistry · Coordination Crystal Field Theory: Splitting, CFSE and the Spectrochemical Series Coordination chemistry carries more entrance-exam weight than any other inorganic topic, and crystal field theory is the engine underneath most of it. BSc & MSc · Inorganic Chemistry · Concept The short answer: An octahedral field raises the two eg orbitals and lowers the three t2g orbitals, splitting them by Δo. Whether electrons pair up or occupy the upper set depends on whether Δo exceeds the pairing energy — which is what decides high-spin versus low-spin, and therefore colour, magnetism and stability. The model in one paragraph…

Haemoglobin and Myoglobin: Coordination Chemistry Doing a Job

August 29, 2026

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| Chemical Science Exams, Inorganic Chemistry

Inorganic Chemistry · Bioinorganic Haemoglobin and Myoglobin: Coordination Chemistry Doing a Job Bioinorganic questions are coordination chemistry questions wearing biological clothing. The reasoning is the same — geometry, spin state and ligand field. BSc & MSc · Inorganic Chemistry · Concept The short answer: Both proteins carry iron in a porphyrin ring. Myoglobin has one such site and binds oxygen with a simple hyperbolic curve; haemoglobin has four and binds cooperatively, giving a sigmoidal curve. The cooperativity is a structural consequence of a spin-state change moving the iron into the porphyrin plane. The haem group Both proteins are built around…

p-Block Elements (Class 12): Groups 15 to 18 as Trends, Not Lists

August 29, 2026

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| class 11-12 chemistry, Class 12, Inorganic Chemistry

Class 12 · Inorganic Chemistry p-Block Elements (Class 12): Groups 15 to 18 as Trends, Not Lists The chapter students most often try to memorise whole — and the one where that strategy fails most completely. Class 12 · Chemistry · Inorganic · Published 29 August 2026 In short: The p-Block looks like the largest memory load in Class 12 Inorganic. Most of it is not memory at all: a small number of trends — size, electronegativity, the inert pair effect and the anomalous behaviour of the first element — predict the majority of what students are asked to recall….

Periodic Classification (Class 11): Trends You Can Derive Instead of Memorising

August 28, 2026

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| Class 11, class 11-12 chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry

Class 11 · Chemistry Periodic Classification (Class 11): Trends You Can Derive Instead of Memorising Periodicity is taught as a set of arrows to remember. Understood through effective nuclear charge, almost all of it can be reconstructed from first principles. Class 11 · Chemistry · CBSE & ISC · Published 28 August 2026 In short: Atomic radius, ionisation enthalpy, electron gain enthalpy and electronegativity are not four separate things to memorise. They are four consequences of one tug-of-war between nuclear pull and electron shielding. Learn to reason from effective nuclear charge and you can rebuild every trend, including the exceptions…

Coordination Compounds (Class 12): CFT, Colour, Magnetism and Isomerism Made Clear

August 26, 2026

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| class 11-12 chemistry, Class 12, Inorganic Chemistry

Crystal field splitting explains colour, magnetism and geometry in one framework. Nomenclature rules, all six isomerism types, the spin-only formula and CFSE, with worked Class 12 examples.

d-Block and f-Block Elements (Class 12): Trends, Colour and Magnetic Behaviour

August 25, 2026

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| class 11-12 chemistry, Class 12, Inorganic Chemistry

Why transition metals are coloured, where variable oxidation states come from, and what lanthanoid contraction actually explains.

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