Terminology

[Sophia Bozone 2G]

For whatever reason, as we've moved into this most current topic, I have been really lost and confused even with the most basic topics.
I know this is probably a really dumb question, but what exactly is a ligand, and what is their relevance. Why is it important to be able to recognize a ligand and what are the implications of ligands in problems.

[kaushalrao2H]

A ligand is a Lewis base (donates electrons) that forms a coordinate covalent bond with the central transition metal of a coordination complex. They can be either ions or molecules. The number of ligands that can be bonded to a particular transition (d-block) metal is determined by the metal's coordination number. In water, coordination complexes undergo a substitution reaction in which the complex's ligands are exchanged with water molecules (which act as ligands in this scenario).

[Shanmitha Arun 1L]

If you are confused with topics, I would highly recommend watching videos in order to clarify things. The link below clearly explains what ligands are and you may find it very useful. Hope that helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=011Bj5USal8

[Yeyang Zu 2J]

In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule (functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electron pairs.

[Kaelie Blanes-Ronda 2L]

Is the bonding of a ligand an effort of the atom to have a complete octet? If so why are the roman numbers used?