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NEET CHEMISTRYOrganic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques Medium

Question

Decreasing order of stability of O2\text{O}_2, O2\text{O}_2^-, O2+\text{O}_2^+ and O22\text{O}_2^{2-} is:

A

O2+>O2>O2>O22\text{O}_2^+ > \text{O}_2 > \text{O}_2^- > \text{O}_2^{2-}

B

O22>O2>O2>O2+\text{O}_2^{2-} > \text{O}_2^- > \text{O}_2 > \text{O}_2^+

C

O2>O2+>O22>O2\text{O}_2 > \text{O}_2^+ > \text{O}_2^{2-} > \text{O}_2^-

D

O2>O22>O2+>O2\text{O}_2^- > \text{O}_2^{2-} > \text{O}_2^+ > \text{O}_2

Step-by-Step Solution

According to Molecular Orbital Theory, the stability of a species is directly proportional to its bond order. Bond order is calculated as 12(NbNa)\frac{1}{2}(N_b - N_a), where NbN_b is the number of bonding electrons and NaN_a is the number of antibonding electrons.

  • O2\text{O}_2 (16 electrons): The configuration is σ1s2σ1s2σ2s2σ2s2σ2pz2(π2px2=π2py2)(π2px1=π2py1)\sigma 1s^2 \sigma^* 1s^2 \sigma 2s^2 \sigma^* 2s^2 \sigma 2p_z^2 (\pi 2p_x^2 = \pi 2p_y^2) (\pi^* 2p_x^1 = \pi^* 2p_y^1). Bond order = 1062=2.0\frac{10 - 6}{2} = 2.0.
  • O2+\text{O}_2^+ (15 electrons): Formed by removing one electron from the antibonding π\pi^* orbital. Bond order = 1052=2.5\frac{10 - 5}{2} = 2.5.
  • O2\text{O}_2^- (17 electrons): Formed by adding one electron to the antibonding π\pi^* orbital. Bond order = 1072=1.5\frac{10 - 7}{2} = 1.5.
  • O22\text{O}_2^{2-} (18 electrons): Formed by adding two electrons to the antibonding π\pi^* orbitals. Bond order = 1082=1.0\frac{10 - 8}{2} = 1.0. Since stability increases with an increase in bond order, the decreasing order of stability is O2+ (2.5)>O2 (2.0)>O2 (1.5)>O22 (1.0)\text{O}_2^+ \text{ (2.5)} > \text{O}_2 \text{ (2.0)} > \text{O}_2^- \text{ (1.5)} > \text{O}_2^{2-} \text{ (1.0)}.

Exam Context & Concepts Covered

This question aligns with the NEET CHEMISTRY syllabus, specifically targeting concepts from Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques . Mastering this topic is crucial for scoring well in the upcoming medical entrance examinations. Solving conceptually related problems will help you understand the nuances of these concepts and improve your problem-solving speed.

CHEMISTRYOrganic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques decreasingstability

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