What type of bonds are present in an O2 molecule?

• A. One sigma bond and one pi bond
• B. Two pi bonds
• C. Two sigma bonds
• D. One sigma bond and two pi bonds

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the basic structure of an O2 molecule: It consists of two oxygen atoms bonded together.
2. Recall that oxygen atoms have six valence electrons each, and they need to share electrons to achieve a stable octet configuration.
3. In an O2 molecule, the two oxygen atoms form a double bond to share electrons. A double bond consists of one sigma (σ) bond and one pi (π) bond.
4. A sigma bond is formed by the head-on overlap of atomic orbitals, while a pi bond is formed by the side-to-side overlap of p orbitals.
5. Therefore, in an O2 molecule, there is one sigma bond and one pi bond present between the two oxygen atoms.