Chapter 21, Problem 109MP

There are three salts that contain complex ions of chromium and have the molecular formula CrCl₃ · 6H₂O. Treating 0.27 g of the first salt with a strong dehydrating agent resulted in a mass loss of 0.036 g. Treating 270 mg of the second salt with the same dehydrating agent resulted in a mass loss of 18 mg. The third salt did not lose any mass when treated with the same dehydrating agent. Addition of excess aqueous silver nitrate to 100.0-mL portions of 0.100 M solutions of each salt resulted in the formation of different masses of silver chloride; one solution yielded 1430 mg AgCl; another, 2870 mg AgCl; the third, 4300 mg AgCl. Two of the salts are green and one is violet.

Suggest probable structural formulas for these salts, defending your answer on the basis of the preceding observations. State which salt is most likely to be violet. Would a study of the magnetic properties of the salts be helpful in determining the structural formulas? Explain.