Draw a sketch to show the splitting of d orbitals in an octahedral crystal field. State for a d 6 ion how the actual configuration of the split d orbitals in an octahedral crystal field is decided by the relative values of Δ 0 and P.
The splitting of d-orbitals in an octahedral crystal-field is shown in the given figure.
For a d6 ion, we can have (t2g)6 (eg)0 arrangement or (t2g)4 (eg)2 arrangement of the d-electrons. If the value of Δ0 is less than the pairing energy P, then we will have (t2g)4 (eg)2 arrangement. However, if the pairing energy P is less than Δ0, then we will have (t2g)6 (eg)0 arrangement.