The bond order of a homonuclear diatomic molecule can be decreased by ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bond order is defined as 1/2 × (number of electrons in bonding molecular orbitals - number of electrons in antibonding molecular orbitals). Therefore, the bond order can be decreased by removing electrons from a bonding MO or adding electrons to an antibonding MO, as this would decrease the number of electrons in bonding MOs and increase the number of electrons in antibonding MOs, resulting in a lower bond order.

The Bond Order of a Homonuclear Diatomic Molecule Can Be