Question

The energy mismatch of atomic orbitals results in the overlap between them being *less efficient* than in the homodinuclear case.

What are the three factors that the degree of *atomic orbital energy* depends on?

Answer 1

The degree of atomic orbital energy depends on electronegativity, orientation, and the distance between orbitals, influencing the overlap and stability of the resulting molecular orbitals.

Step-by-step explanation:

The degree of atomic orbital energy depends on the following three factors:

1. The electronegativity of the atoms involved, which affects the energy level of the atomic orbitals. Higher electronegativity means lower energy orbitals.
2. The orientation of the atomic orbitals. Orbitals aligned end-to-end have greater overlap, which results in more bonding interaction.
3. The distance between the two interacting atomic orbitals. Greater overlap at an optimal distance can lead to a more stable bond with lower system energy.

As atomic orbitals from different atoms approach each other, their energy levels can align, and they can overlap to form molecular orbitals, which are either bonding or antibonding. Bonding molecular orbitals result in decreased system energy and an increased stability, while antibonding molecular orbitals lead to increased system energy and decreased stability compared to the parent atomic orbitals.