Potassium iodide, KI(s), is dissolved in liquid acetone at room temperature. Acetone molecules possess a dipole moment that points from the carbonyl carbon (δ⁺) toward the carbonyl oxygen (δ⁻). A particulate diagram will be constructed to represent a fixed microscopic region that contains 4 K⁺ ions, 4 I⁻ ions, and 20 acetone molecules.
(a) Describe the correct orientation of a single acetone molecule with respect to a nearby K⁺ ion. Specify which end of the acetone dipole should face the ion and explain why.
(b) Describe the correct orientation of a single acetone molecule with respect to a nearby I⁻ ion. Again, specify which end of the acetone dipole should face the ion and explain why.
(c) Without drawing, provide a detailed verbal sketch that a textbook artist could follow to place the 4 K⁺ ions, 4 I⁻ ions, and 20 acetone molecules in the fixed-volume box so that all ion–dipole orientations are depicted correctly. Include approximate relative distances and any symmetry or clustering you expect.