CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

When given a chemical formula how do we know which one is the cetral metal atom or ion?

Usually there will only be 1 metal and everything else is a ligand, also for coordination compounds, the metals are always transition metals.

The central atom for a coordinate covalent compound is the transition metal/ion. The ligands are usually covalent molecules (water) or negatively charged ions (F^-) that have a pair of electrons to donate.

A ligand has to be able to form coordinate covalent bonds, so often the molecules will have a lone pair of electrons.

Regarding ligands, the transition metal/cation will almost always be the central atom.

The central atom should be the transition metal.

The ligand is also the same as the Lewis base in any given molecule, and the central atom is almost always the Lewis acid

There is usually one d metal atom.