Question
Chemistry Question on Chemical bonding and molecular structure
The number of unpaired electrons in a paramagnetic diatomic molecule of an element with atomic number 16 is :
A
2
B
3
C
4
D
1
Answer
2
Explanation
Solution
The atomic number of the element is 16, which corresponds to sulfur (S). In a diatomic molecule of sulfur (S2), each sulfur atom contributes six valence electrons (since sulfur is in group 16 of the periodic table). When two sulfur atoms bond together to form a diatomic molecule, they share their electrons, resulting in a total of 12 valence electrons in the molecule. To determine the number of unpaired electrons, you can use molecular orbital theory. In the case of a sulfur molecule (S2), the molecular orbital diagram shows that there are 2 unpaired electrons.
So, the correct answer is (A): 2