Ch.9 - Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories

Problem 71d

Chapter 9, Problem 71d

Consider the H2+ ion. (d) What is the bond order in H2+?

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Identify the molecular orbital configuration for the H2+ ion.

Recall that H2+ has one electron, which will occupy the lowest energy molecular orbital.

Determine the number of electrons in bonding and antibonding orbitals. For H2+, there is 1 electron in the bonding orbital and 0 in the antibonding orbital.

Use the bond order formula: Bond Order = (Number of electrons in bonding orbitals - Number of electrons in antibonding orbitals) / 2.

Substitute the values into the bond order formula to find the bond order for H2+.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Molecular Orbital Theory

Molecular Orbital Theory explains how atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals, which can be occupied by electrons. In diatomic molecules, these orbitals can be bonding, antibonding, or non-bonding. The arrangement of electrons in these orbitals determines the stability and properties of the molecule.

Bond Order

Bond order is a measure of the number of chemical bonds between a pair of atoms. It is calculated as the difference between the number of bonding and antibonding electrons divided by two. A higher bond order indicates a stronger bond and greater stability of the molecule.

Electron Configuration of Ions

The electron configuration of ions involves determining how electrons are arranged in molecular orbitals for charged species. For the H2+ ion, one electron is removed from the H2 molecule's bonding orbital, affecting the bond order and overall stability of the ion. Understanding this configuration is crucial for calculating bond order.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

(a) If you combine two atomic orbitals on two different atoms to make a new orbital, is this a hybrid orbital or a molecular orbital?

Consider the H2+ ion. (a) Sketch the molecular orbitals of the ion and draw its energy-level diagram.

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Textbook Question

Consider the H2+ ion. (b) How many electrons are there in the H2+ ion?

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Textbook Question

Consider the H2+ ion. (e) Suppose that the ion is excited by light so that an electron moves from a lower-energy to a higher-energy MO. Would you expect the excited-state H2+ ion to be stable or to fall apart?

Consider the H2+ ion. (f) Which of the following statements about part (e) is correct: (i) The light excites an electron from a bonding orbital to an antibonding orbital, (ii) The light excites an electron from an antibonding orbital to a bonding orbital, or (iii) In the excited state there are more bonding electrons than antibonding electrons?