Question R12 Q14 - MIT Science Bowl 2022

Which of the following statements best explains why octahedral manganese (II) complexes are significantly less colored than those of chromium (III)?

W) The chromium (III) complex is high-spin, but the manganese (II) complex is low-spin

X) Chromium (III) complexes can engage in metal ligand charge transfer interactions, which manganese (II) complexes cannot

Y) d-d transitions in manganese (II) are spin-forbidden, but they are spin-allowed in chromium (III)

Z) There is significantly more spin-orbit coupling in chromium (III) complexes, which make electronic transitions easier

Science Bowl Question