Given below are two statements regarding Molecular Orbital Theory : Statement I : A diatomic molecule is considered stable if the number of electrons in bonding molecular orbitals ( N_b ) is equal to the number of electrons in antibonding molecular orbitals ( N_a ). Statement II : For diatomic molecules, the bond length is inversely proportional to the bond order. In the light of the above statements, choose the most

Step-by-step solution

According to Molecular Orbital Theory, the stability of a diatomic molecule depends on its bond order, which is given by 1 2 (N_b - N_a) . If N_b = N_a , the bond order is zero, which means no bond is formed and the molecule is unstable. Thus, Statement I is incorrect. The bond length of a diatomic molecule is inversely proportional to its bond order. A higher bond order indicates a stronger pull between the two atoms, resulting in a shorter bond length. Thus, Statement II is correct. Therefore, Statement I is inco