In coordination chemistry, the coordination number is defined as what?

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In coordination chemistry, the coordination number is defined as what?

The coordination number is the number of donor atoms around the metal center that form coordinate bonds. This counts how many times electron pairs from ligands are donated to the metal, not the total charge of the complex or the number of ligands themselves. It’s also not the oxidation state. In monodentate ligand cases, the coordination number equals the number of ligands, but with polydentate ligands (like ethylenediamine, which can donate two pairs), multiple donor sites from a single ligand add to the coordination number. For example, three ethylenediamine ligands contribute six donor atoms, giving a coordination number of six.

The coordination number is the number of donor atoms around the metal center that form coordinate bonds. This counts how many times electron pairs from ligands are donated to the metal, not the total charge of the complex or the number of ligands themselves. It’s also not the oxidation state. In monodentate ligand cases, the coordination number equals the number of ligands, but with polydentate ligands (like ethylenediamine, which can donate two pairs), multiple donor sites from a single ligand add to the coordination number. For example, three ethylenediamine ligands contribute six donor atoms, giving a coordination number of six.

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