Answer:
See explanation
Step-by-step explanation:
The molecular orbital configuration of the super oxide ion is;
σ1s2, σ*1s2, σ2s2, σ*2s2, σ2px2, π2py2, π2pz2, π*2py2, π*2pz1
The molecular orbital configuration of the peroxide ion is;
σ1s2, σ*1s2, σ2s2, σ*2s2, σ2px2, π2py2, π2pz2, π*2py2, π*2pz2
Hence the bond order of the superoxide ion is 1.5 while the bond order of the peroxide ion is 1.
The superoxide ion is paramagnetic while the peroxide ion is diamagnetic.
Since the superoxide ion has a greater bond order and will have resonance structures as a result of its fractional bond order, it is more stable than the peroxide ion.