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Which one of the following molecules is paramagnetic?

A. Li2
B. C₂²⁻
C. N₂²⁻
D. N₂²⁺
E. C2

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

Option D: The molecule that is paramagnetic among the given options is N2^2+ because it has unpaired electrons due to the removal of two electrons compared to N2, resulting in a molecular orbital configuration with unpaired electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which one of the listed molecules is paramagnetic, we need to understand the molecular orbital configurations and the presence of any unpaired electrons. A paramagnetic molecule is one that is attracted to magnetic fields due to these unpaired electrons, while a diamagnetic molecule, which has all electrons paired and is slightly repelled by a magnetic field, contains no unpaired electrons.

Let's look at the given options:

  • Li2 is diamagnetic because it has a bond order of 1 and all electrons are paired.
  • C2, also known as dicarbon, is also diamagnetic because it has two unpaired electrons but they are paired when the molecule is formed.
  • N2 (N2, N2^2-, N2^2+) is naturally diamagnetic as it has no unpaired electrons.
  • C2^2- has two extra electrons compared to C2, which means it has a pair of electrons that were unpaired in C2 effectively paired now, making it diamagnetic.
  • N2^2+ has two fewer electrons than N2, creating unpaired electrons in its molecular orbital configuration. Therefore, N2^2+ is the molecule predicted to be paramagnetic.

According to molecular orbital theory, N2^2+ is the correct answer to which molecule is paramagnetic among the options provided.

User Jimba Tamang
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