Which of the following homonuclear diatomic molecules is paramagnetic in nature and has a bond order consisting entirely of bonds according to Molecular Orbital Theory?

Step-by-step solution

According to Molecular Orbital Theory, the electronic configurations are: B ₂ (10 electrons): 1s^2 The 2s and ^ * 2s electrons cancel each other's bonding contribution. The net bonding electrons are in the 2p orbitals. The presence of two unpaired electrons makes it paramagnetic, and its bond order of 1 consists only of bonds. C ₂ (12 electrons): Diamagnetic, has only bonds. O ₂ (16 electrons): Paramagnetic, but contains bonds. N ₂ (14 electrons): Diamagnetic, contains both and bonds. Answer: B ₂