Use MO theory to predict the number of electrons in each of...

Use MO theory to predict the number of electrons in each of the molecular orbitals, the number of bonds, ar the number of unpaired electrons in
(a) $\mathrm{CO}$
(b) $\mathrm{F}_{2}^{-}$
(c) $\mathrm{NO}^{-}$

Key Concepts

Molecular Orbital Theory

Molecular Orbital Theory explains how atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals which extend over the entire molecule. In this theory, electrons are assigned to bonding, antibonding, or nonbonding orbitals that determine the overall stability, bond order, and magnetic properties of the molecule.

Electron Configuration in Molecular Orbitals

This concept involves filling the molecular orbitals in order of increasing energy with electrons based on the Aufbau principle. During this process, electrons populate lower-energy bonding orbitals first before occupying higher-energy antibonding orbitals, and Hund’s rule and the Pauli exclusion principle are applied to assign electron spins correctly.

Bond Order Calculation

Bond order is a quantitative measure of the strength of a chemical bond. It is calculated by subtracting the number of electrons in antibonding orbitals from the number in bonding orbitals, and then dividing the result by two. A higher bond order indicates a stronger and shorter bond, while a bond order of zero suggests that the molecule may be unstable.

Unpaired Electrons

The count of unpaired electrons in molecular orbitals directly affects the magnetic properties of a molecule. Unpaired electrons result in paramagnetism, whereas paired electrons lead to diamagnetic behavior. Understanding the distribution of electrons in the molecular orbital diagram helps in predicting these magnetic characteristics.

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