Practice question
Question
Which species is paramagnetic and has a bond order of 1.5?
Explanation
For O₂⁻ : (sigma 1s)² (sigma^* 1s)² (sigma 2s)² (sigma^* 2s)² (sigma 2pz)² (pi 2px)² (pi 2py)² (pi^* 2px)² (pi^* 2py)¹ . Bonding = 10, antibonding = 7. Bond order = (10 - 7/2) = 1.5 , with 1 unpaired electron (paramagnetic).