Practice question
Question
Which species has a bond order of 1 and is paramagnetic?
Explanation
For B₂ : (sigma 1s)² (sigma^* 1s)² (sigma 2s)² (sigma^* 2s)² (pi 2px)¹ (pi 2py)¹ . Bonding = 6, antibonding = 4. Bond order = (6 - 4/2) = 1 , with 2 unpaired electrons (paramagnetic).