Your UANet ID: _____________________ Chemical Thinking U2 Application: Discussion 9 | 1

Apply What You Know

Creatine supplements are used by athletes, bodybuilders, and others who wish to gain muscle mass.
Creatinine is the metabolic product of creatine. When testing for creatine levels in athletes, chemists look
for creatinine in urine samples. Uric acid is also a component of urine and absorption spectroscopy can be
used to identify the presence of both simultaneously.

1. The absorption spectra for creatinine and uric acid

are shown in the image. What types of EM radiation
are absorbed by these substances?

2. Estimate the energy, in kJ/mol, of the radiation that

can be used to differentiate these two substances.

Research has shown that trace amounts of dangerous metal

ions have been found in creatine supplement powder. The
photoelectron spectrum of one of those metal ions is shown.

3. Identify the ion and justify your reasoning.

Arsenic is another substance that was detected in creatine powder. The common negatively charged ion of
arsenic has proven to be the most toxic form of the element.

4. What would you predict to be the most stable form of the negative ion of arsenic?
Sketch the PE spectrum of this ion.
Your UANet ID: _____________________ Chemical Thinking U2 Application: Discussion 9 | 2

The line structure of creatine is shown in the image.

5. Determine the chemical formula of creatine.

6. Identify the functional groups present in creatine.

7. Identify the electron pair geometry and molecular geometry around the central N atom.

8. Estimate the value of bond angles 1 and 2;

9. Draw the net dipole moment around the three carbon atoms in the backbone of this molecule. Use
these results to analyze overall molecular polarity.

Some sport supplements mix creatine with a substance

with the formula C5H9NO4. The mass spectrometry and
infrared spectra for this chemical compound are
shown on this page. The compound has carboxyl’s but
no hydroxyl, ketone, or aldehyde functional groups.

10. Draw the Lewis structure and the line structure of

this chemical compound. Your structure should
explain the two large peaks at 73 and 74 m/z)

11. Analyze overall molecular polarity. Clearly justify

your answer.