Consider the following species: O ₂ , B ₂ , C ₂ , N ₂ , NO , CO How many of the given species are paramagnetic?

Step-by-step solution

According to Molecular Orbital Theory, a species is paramagnetic if it contains one or more unpaired electrons in its molecular orbitals. 1. O ₂ (16 electrons): The configuration ends in ^ * 2 p _ x ^1 = ^ * 2 p _ y ^1 . It has 2 unpaired electrons, so it is paramagnetic. 2. B ₂ (10 electrons): The configuration ends in 2 p _ x ^1 = 2 p _ y ^1 . It has 2 unpaired electrons, so it is paramagnetic. 3. C ₂ (12 electrons): The configuration ends in 2 p _ x ^2 = 2 p _ y ^2 . All electrons are paired, so it is diamagneti