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NEET CHEMISTRYChemical Bonding and Molecular StructureMedium

Question

The number of unpaired electrons in a paramagnetic diatomic molecule of an element with atomic mass 1616 is:

A

2

B

3

C

4

D

1

Step-by-Step Solution

The element with an atomic mass of 1616 is oxygen (O). Its diatomic molecule is O2\text{O}_2, which contains a total of 1616 electrons. According to the Molecular Orbital Theory, the electronic configuration of the O2\text{O}_2 molecule is: σ1s2,σ∗1s2,σ2s2,σ∗2s2,σ2pz2,(π2px2=π2py2),(π∗2px1=π∗2py1)\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) As seen from the configuration, there are 22 unpaired electrons present in the degenerate π∗2px\pi^* 2p_x and π∗2py\pi^* 2p_y antibonding molecular orbitals. This presence of unpaired electrons is responsible for the paramagnetic nature of the oxygen molecule.

Exam Context & Concepts Covered

This question aligns with the NEET CHEMISTRY syllabus, specifically targeting concepts from Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure. 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.

CHEMISTRYChemical Bonding and Molecular Structurenumberunpairedelectronsparamagneticdiatomic

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