Suppose that a linear Na26 molecule could be formed by combining the 3s orbitals on each atom into delocalized MOs. How many nodal planes are in the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of this molecule?
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Describing Molecules
Molecules are built from two or more bound atoms. It is possible to combine the known orbitals of constituent atoms in a molecule to describe its electron orbitals. Molecular orbitals (MOs) represent regions in a molecule where an electron is likely to be found; they are obtained by combining atomic orbitals. An MO can specify a molecule’s electron configuration, and most commonly, it is represented as a linear combination of atomic orbitals (the LCAO-MO method), especially in qualitative or approximate usage. These models provide a simple model of molecule bonding, understood through molecular orbital theory.
Molecular orbital diagram for hydrogenFor a diatomic molecule, an MO diagram effectively shows the energetics of the bond between the two atoms, whose AO unbonded energies are shown on the sides. The unbonded energy levels are higher than those of the bound molecule, which is the energetically-favored configuration.
