The molecular-orbital diagrams for two- and four-atom
linear cha...

Question

The molecular-orbital diagrams for two- and four-atom 
linear chains of lithium atoms are shown in Figure 12.22. 
Construct a molecular-orbital diagram for a chain containing 
six lithium atoms and use it to answer the following 
questions: (a) How many molecular orbitals are there in 
the diagram?

Accepted Answer

Hi everyone for this problem. It reads draw a molecular orbital diagram for a chain containing five sodium atoms and identify the number of molecular orbital's. Okay, so we know we have a chain of five sodium atoms. So let's go ahead and write that chain here below. So we have sodium. I need to and three any four And NA five. Okay. And let's remember that each sodium has one valence electron which will add to the molecular orbital. Okay, so four sodium, this one just has one valence electron. Okay, four. The next one there are two valence electrons. For the next one there are three valence electrons. Okay, for the next one we have four valence electrons. And for the last one we have five valence electrons. 12, suck. So here as the chain as the length of the chain increases, the number of molecular orbital's also increases. And regardless of the chain length, the lowest energy orbital's are always the most bonding and the highest energy orbital's are always the most anti bonding. Okay, so this is going to be our molecular orbital diagram and that is the end of this problem. I hope this was helpful

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