How many molecular orbitals can be built from the valence atomic orbitals of molecular bromine, Br₂?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Molecular bromine (Br2) has a total of 14 valence electrons per bromine atom, with the valence orbitals being 4s, 4p_x, 4p_y, and 4p_z. Since there are two bromine atoms, the total number of atomic orbitals available for bonding is 4 orbitals per atom times 2 atoms, which equals 8 atomic orbitals. According to the principle of conservation of orbitals, the number of molecular orbitals formed must equal the number of atomic orbitals combined, which is 8 from one bromine atom plus 8 from the other, totaling 16 molecular orbitals, not 18. My initial response contained an error in calculation; the correct number of molecular orbitals formed is indeed 16, not 18 as previously stated.

How Many Molecular Orbitals Can Be Built from the Valence