Free interactive chemistry · SIM-COORD-001
Ligand–metal construction
Ligands approach a metal ion and donate lone pairs, building a coordination sphere.
Open the interactive simulation →How to use this simulation
- Choose a real complex, or “Build your own”.
- Drag the “Ligands approach” slider.
- Read the geometry, charge and unpaired electrons.
What to notice
- Each ligand gives a lone pair to the metal (a dative bond).
- Coordination number 6 gives an octahedron; 4 gives tetrahedral or square planar.
Try this
Build a tetrahedral complex and compare its splitting with an octahedral one.
Try it for free →