In the molecular orbital description of CO:
A)The highest energy electrons occupy antibonding orbitals.
B)Six molecular orbitals contain electrons.
C)There are two unpaired electrons.
D)The bond order is 3.
E)All of the above are false.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The molecular orbital diagram for CO shows that the bond order is 3, indicating a triple bond between the carbon and oxygen atoms. The highest energy electrons occupy the antibonding orbitals, but there are no unpaired electrons. Six molecular orbitals do indeed exist, but this is not a false statement. Therefore, the best choice is D, because it is the only statement that is true.

In the Molecular Orbital Description of CO