Question

explaint the concept of potential energy curves for bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals with examples

Answer 1

Answer:

Bonding molecular orbital.

• A bonding molecular orbital is formed when the electron waves of the combining atom are in phase, i.e. , the lobes of atomic orbital have same sign.
• The wave function for the bonding atomic orbital may be approximated by summing up the wave functions of the combining atoms.
• The electron density is centred between the nuclei of the combining atoms.
• The energy of the bonding molecular orbital is less than that of the atomic orbitals of combining atoms.
• Energy present in bonding molecular orbitals lead to the attractions between the atoms and stabilise the molecule.

Antibonding molecular orbitals.

• An antibonding molrcular orbital is formed when the electron waves of the combining atoms are not in phase , i.e. , the lobes of atomic orbital have opposite sign.
• The wave function for the antibonding atomic orbital is obtained by subtracting the wave functions of the combining atoms.
• The probability of finding the electron between the nuclei of the combining atoms is negligible.
• The energy of the antibonding molecular orbital ia greater than that of the atomic orbitals of the combining atoms.
• Energy present in the antibonding molecular orbitals lead to the repulsion between the atoms and destabilise the molecule.