Which of the following options represent the correct bond order?

Step-by-step solution

The number of electrons in O₂ is 16. The electronic configuration of O₂ is _ 1s ² _ 1s ^ *2 _ 2s ² _ 2s ^ *2 _ 2p_z ² _ 2p_x ² _ 2p_y ² _ 2p_x ^ *1 _ 2p_y ^ *1 . Bond order of O₂ = 1 2 (N_b - N_a) = 1 2 (10 - 6) = 2.0 . The number of electrons in O₂⁺ is 15. One electron is removed from the antibonding _ 2p ^ * orbital. Bond order of O₂⁺ = 1 2 (10 - 5) = 2.5 . The number of electrons in O₂⁻ is 17. One electron is added to the antibonding _ 2p ^ * orbital. Bond order of O₂⁻ = 1 2 (10 - 7) = 1.5 . Thus, the correct or