Chapter 9, Problem 9B.6E

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The number of molecular orbitals that can be constructed from a diatomic molecule where s, p, d, and f orbitals are all important for bonding has to be interpreted.

Concept Introduction:

Molecular orbital (MO) theory is a method of determining molecular structure in which electrons are not assigned to individual bonds between atoms, but are treated as moving under the influence of the nuclei in the whole molecule.

According to this theory there are two types of orbitals,

1. (1) Bonding orbitals
2. (2) Antibonding orbitals

Electrons in molecules are filled in accordance with the energy; the anti-bonding orbital has more energy than the bonding orbitals.

The electronic configuration of oxygen molecule $O_2$ can be represented as follows,

${\left({\text{σ}}_{\text{1s}}\right)}^2{\left({\text{σ*}}_{\text{1s}}\right)}^2{\left({\text{σ}}_{\text{2s}}\right)}^2{\left({\text{σ*}}_{\text{2s}}\right)}^2{\left({\text{σ}}_{\text{2p}}\right)}^2{\left( {\pi }_{\text{2p}}\right)}^4{\left( \pi {*}_{\text{2p}}\right)}^2$

The symbol * represent the antibonding orbital

Sigma (σ) bonds are the bonds in which shared hybrid orbital’s electron density are concentrated along the internuclear axis.

Pi (π) bonds are the bonds in which shared un-hybridized orbital’s (p, d, etc.) electron density are concentrated in above and below of the plane of the molecule.