Name: Hybridisation in SF₆ Molecule
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 2 min 31 s
Description: Understand the bonding present in the case of sulphur hexafluoride. This video illustrates that the hybridisation present in the case of sulphur hexafluoride...

Question

Explain why oxygen molecule is paramagnetic and nitrogen molecule is diamagnetic. Draw the molecular orbital energy level diagram of nitrogen molecule.

Accepted Answer

The electronic configuration of oxygen atom is $1 s^{2} 2 s^{2} 2 p^{4}$ . There are $16$ electrons in $O_{2}$ molecule.

The electronic configuration of $O_{2}$ molecule can be written as, $σ 1 s^{2} σ^{*} 1 s^{2} σ 2 s^{2} σ^{*} 2 s^{2} σ 2 {p_{z}}^{2} (π 2 {p_{x}}^{2} = π 2 {p_{y}}^{2}) (π^{*} 2 {p_{x}}^{1} = π^{*} 2 {p_{y}}^{1})$ .

Bond order $= \frac{N_{b} - N_{a}}{2} = \frac{10 - 6}{2} = 2$

Oxygen molecule contains two unpaired electrons hence, it is paramagnetic.

The electronic configuration of nitrogen atom is $1 s^{2} 2 s^{2} 2 p^{3}$ . There are $14$ electrons in $N_{2}$ molecule.

The electronic configuration of $N_{2}$ molecule can be written as, $σ 1 s^{2} σ^{*} 1 s^{2} σ 2 s^{2} σ^{*} 2 s^{2} (π 2 {p_{x}}^{2} = π 2 {p_{y}}^{2}) σ 2 {p_{z}}^{2}$ .

Bond order $= \frac{N_{b} - N_{a}}{2} = \frac{10 - 4}{2} = 3$

The two nitrogen atoms in the molecule are linked by a triple bond. Therefore, the nitrogen molecule is diamagnetic due to the absence of unpaired electrons.

Molecular orbital energy level diagram of nitrogen molecule is as shown below:

Explain why oxygen molecule is paramagnetic and nitrogen molecule is diamagnetic. Draw the molecular orbital energy level diagram of nitrogen molecule.

Important Questions on Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

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