Compare the relative stability of the following species and indicate their magnetic properties;

The electronic configuration of oxygen molecule can be written as:


Here number of bonding electrons is 8 (Na) and number of antibonding electrons is 4 (Nb)


Therefore, bond order can be found out by,



=1/2(8-4)


=2


The electronic configuration of O2+ can be written as:



Nb = 8


Na = 3


Bond order is 1/2(8-3)


=2.5


The electronic configuration of O2- will be:



Nb = 8


Na = 5


Bond order is 1/2 (8-5)


=1.5


The electronic configuration of O22-will be:


Nb = 8


Na = 6


Bond order is 1/2 (8-6)


=1


Bond dissociation energy is directly proportional to bond order. Thus, the higher the bond order, the greater will be the stability. On this basis, the order of stability is:


O2+ > O2> O2- > O22-


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