NEETChemistryChemical Bonding and Molecular Structure
Identify the incorrect order among the following properties for diatomic oxygen species:
Options
- ABond order: O ₂⁺ O ₂ O ₂⁻
- BBond length: O ₂²⁻ O ₂⁻ O ₂
- CStability: O ₂⁺ O ₂ O ₂⁻
- DNumber of unpaired electrons: O ₂⁻ O ₂ O ₂²⁻
Correct answer
D. Number of unpaired electrons: O ₂⁻ O ₂ O ₂²⁻
Step-by-step solution
According to Molecular Orbital Theory, the bond orders are calculated as N_b - N_a 2 : O ₂⁺ (15 electrons): Bond order = 2.5 O ₂ (16 electrons): Bond order = 2.0 O ₂⁻ (17 electrons): Bond order = 1.5 O ₂²⁻ (18 electrons): Bond order = 1.0 Option 1 is correct: Bond order follows O ₂⁺ O ₂ O ₂⁻ . Option 2 is correct: Bond length is inversely proportional to bond order, so the order is O ₂²⁻ O ₂⁻ O ₂ . Option 3 is correct: Stability is directly proportional to bond order, so the order is O ₂⁺ O ₂ O ₂⁻ . Option 4 is inc