Chemistry 12th Edition

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 0078021510
ISBN 13: 978-0-07802-151-0

Chapter 10 - Chemical Bonding II - Questions & Problems - Page 459: 10.59

Answer

$F_{2}^{+}$ is more stable than $F_{2}$.

Work Step by Step

Fluorine molecule ($F_{2}$) contains 18 electrons. The molecular orbital configuration of $F_{2}$ molecule is as follows, $(σ_{1s})^{2},(σ^{*}_{1s})^{2},(σ_{2s})^{2},(σ^{*}_{2s})^{2},(σ_{2pz})^{2},(π_{2px})^{2}=(π_{2py})^{2},(π^{*}_{2px})^{2}=(π^{*}_{2py})^{2}$ Similarly ($F_{2}^{+}$) contains 17 electrons. The molecular orbital configuration of $F_{2}^{+}$ molecule is as follows, $(σ_{1s})^{2},(σ^{*}_{1s})^{2},(σ_{2s})^{2},(σ^{*}_{2s})^{2},(σ_{2pz})^{2},(π_{2px})^{2}=(π_{2py})^{2},(π^{*}_{2px})^{2}=(π^{*}_{2py})^{1}$ The bond order is 1/2(number of bonding electrons - number of antibonding electrons). Hence bond order of $F_{2}$ is 1/2(10-8)=1 Bond order of $F_{2}^{+}$ is 1/2(10-7)= 1.5 Bond order is directly proportional to stability. So $F_{2}^{+}$ is more stable than $F_{2}$.
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