Practice question
Question
The bond order of B₂⁻ ion, based on molecular orbital theory, is:
Explanation
For B₂⁻ (11 electrons): (sigma 1s)² (sigma^* 1s)² (sigma 2s)² (sigma^* 2s)² (pi 2px)² (pi 2py)¹ . Bonding = 7, antibonding = 4. Bond order = (7 - 4/2) = 1.5 .