Question

Oxygen molecule is paramagnetic because

• A. No. of bonding electrons > no. of antibonding electrons
• B. No. of bonding electrons > no. of antibonding electrons
• C. No. of bonding electrons = no. of antibonding electrons
• D. Presence of unpaired electrons in molecular orbitals.

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

Presence of unpaired electrons in molecular orbitals.

Answer 2

: M.O. configuration of $O_{2}$:

$(\sigma 1s^{2})(\sigma*1s^{2})(\sigma 2s^{2})(\sigma*2s^{2})(\sigma 2p_{z}^{2})$

$(\pi 2p_{x}^{2} = \pi 2p_{y}^{2})(\pi*2p_{x}^{1} = \pi*2p_{y}^{1})$