Textbook Question
State whether each of these statements is true or false. (a) The longer the bond, the stronger the bond. (c) A typical double bond length is in the 500–1000 pm range.
11. Bonding & Molecular Structure
Average Bond Order
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Which of the following diatomic molecules shows an increase in bond order when one electron is added to the molecule?
A
C_2
B
N_2
C
F_2
D
O_2
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that bond order is defined as \(\text{Bond Order} = \frac{\text{Number of bonding electrons} - \text{Number of antibonding electrons}}{2}\). It gives an indication of the strength and stability of a bond.
Identify the molecular orbital (MO) electron configuration for each diatomic molecule (C_2, N_2, F_2, O_2) in their neutral state. This involves filling the molecular orbitals according to the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and Pauli exclusion principle.
Determine the bond order for each neutral molecule using the MO electron configuration and the bond order formula.
Add one electron to the molecule and place it in the appropriate molecular orbital (usually the lowest energy unoccupied molecular orbital, LUMO). Then, recalculate the bond order with this additional electron.
Compare the bond orders before and after adding the electron for each molecule. The molecule that shows an increase in bond order upon addition of one electron is the correct answer.
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