molecular structure of APCP?

[Adam Selene]

I'm not even sure if I'm asking for the right thing.
the drawings with the C's and H's and O's and the little lines connecting them?
C--H--C
\
C--O
anybody know where i can find a diagram of the molecular structure of APCP?

 

[Chrisn]

Do you mean one of those diagrams that look like?

 

[Bill]

  H   H
   \ /
H-- N --H
    |
O-- Cl --O
    |
    O

That's the AP part. APCP is a mixture and not a molecule.


Bill

 

[Bill]

Oops, that should be 4 oxygen atoms:

  H   H
   \ /
H-- N -- H
    |
O-- Cl --O
   / \
  O   O

Bill

 

[MarkM]

Not quite correct, Bill

    H
    |
H-- N -- H
    |
    H
    +
    O
    |
O-- Cl --O
    |
    O

The "+" indicates a free proton on the ammonium ion. It is this that forms an ionic bond with the free electron on the oxygen in the perchlorate ion. In solution, the ammonium ion and perchlorate ion would be separate ions. As solid (crystaline powder in this case), the ionic bond between that proton and perchlorate is "intact."

Remember, too that molecules are three dimensional structures.

To try to visualize...for the ammonium ion portion of AP will appear essentially as a pyramid (a tetrahedron), the chlorate portion will be similar.
So, essentially AP would look a bit like two pyramids stacked on top of each other (in solid form). But they would not be in a fixed position. They would have rotational freedom around the chemical bonds.

Hope the wording makes sense. It's much easier to demonstrate.

APCP is a mixture. That mixture can vary depending on the fuel (often aluminum or magnesium), the binder, as well as other compounds that are added like chemicals for "coloring", rubberizers and more. That is very difficult to diagram.