Question

The electron configuration of a particular diatomic species is (σ2s)2(σ*2s)2(σ2p)2(π2p)2(π*2p)4. What is the bond order for this species?

Answer 1

The bond order for a diatomic species with the given electron configuration is calculated as 1, indicating that the species has a single bond.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the bond order for a diatomic species with the electron configuration (σ2s)2(σ*2s)2(σ2p)2(π2p)2(π*2p)4, you can use the molecular orbital (MO) theory. The bond order is calculated as the difference between the number of electrons in bonding orbitals and antibonding orbitals, divided by two:

Bond Order = (Number of bonding electrons - Number of antibonding electrons) / 2

For the given configuration, we have:

• 2 electrons in the σ2s bonding orbital,
• 2 electrons in the σ*2s antibonding orbital,
• 2 electrons in the σ2p bonding orbital,
• 2 electrons in the π2p bonding orbitals, and
• 4 electrons in the π*2p antibonding orbitals.

Thus, the bond order is calculated as:

(2+2+2)-(2+4) / 2 = 2 / 2 = 1

This signifies that the diatomic species has a bond order of 1, which corresponds to a single bond.