Which has a stronger polarising force #Li^+# or #Be^(2+)#?

Answer 1

Which cation is (i) smaller; and (ii) which has the higher nuclear charge?

And of course the answer is #Be^(2+)# on both counts. And thus we predict that #Be^(2+)# is the stronger polarizer. I have no data with respect to #Be-C# or #Li-C# bond lengths. Dialkyl berylliums, the which would be fiendishly reactive, would tend to be more molecular than lithium alkyls, which are oligomeric.

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Answer 2

Owen Ambrose

The polarizing force of beryllium ion (Be^2+) is greater than that of lithium ion (Li^+).

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.