Question

${O_2}^ -$ is the superoxide ion and has paramagnetic character. If this true is true enter $1$ , else enter $0$ .

Answer 1

When metal (having valency $+ 1$ ) forms a molecule with oxygen then the oxygen can show more than one type of valency i.e. $- 2, - 1, - \dfrac{1}{2}$ . Based on these valencies the molecule formed is known as oxides, peroxides and superoxides.

Complete step by step solution:
Let us first talk about oxides, peroxide and superoxides.
Oxide: The molecule formed by metal (having valency $+ 1$ ) and a single atom oxygen and in which the valency of oxygen is $- 2$ .
Peroxide: The molecule formed by metal (having valency $+ 1$ ) and two atoms of oxygen and in which the valency of each atom of oxygen is $- 1$ . And both the oxygen atoms are bonded together.
Superoxide: The molecule formed by metal (having valency $+ 1$ ) and two atoms of oxygen and in which the valency of each oxygen atom is $- \dfrac{1}{2}$ . And both the oxygen atoms are bonded together.
Generally the metals having valency $+ 1$ are known as alkali metals and they are first group elements. The elements present in this group are lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium and francium.
Paramagnetic character is shown by the compounds or molecules which have at least one unpaired electron in their orbitals.
Here we are given the superoxide form ${O_2}^ -$ . And in this form the total number of electrons will be $17$ and when are arranged in their orbitals according to the energy rule (lower the energy the first filling of electrons will be) then it will be like $\sigma 1{s^2},{\sigma ^*}1{s^2},\sigma 2{s^2},{\sigma ^*}2{s^2},\sigma 2p{z^2},\pi 2p{y^2},\pi 2p{x^2},{\pi ^*}2p{x^2},{\pi ^*}2p{y^1}.$ So here we can see that there is one unpaired electron in the ${\pi ^*}2p{y^1}$ so this is paramagnetic .
So answer to this question is $1$ .

Note:
The stability order of oxides, peroxides and superoxides are as follows:
Oxides $>$ peroxides $>$ superoxides i.e. oxides are more stable than its peroxides and superoxides form.