Using molecular orbital theory, predict the bond order for the O2+ ion.

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Question restatement: Using molecular orbital theory, predict the bond order for the O2+ ion.
Options: 3, 2.5, 1.5, 1, 2

Option 3: 3. This would imply a very high bonding character with little or no antibonding influence. However, in O2-type systems there is notable antibonding occupancy from π* orbitals, so a bond order of 3 is not consistent with the MO occupancy for a diatomic with only two electrons removed.

Option 2.5: This is the correct balance for O2+ when compared to O2. In O2 neutral, the MO filling gives a bond order of 2 because there are two electrons in the antibonding π* set. Removing one electron to form O2+ reduces antibonding population by one, increasing the bond order to (bonding electrons − antibonding electrons)/2 = (6 − 1)/2 = 2.5. The key step is recognizing which orbitals are bonding versus antibonding and how electron count changes with ionization.

Option 1.5: A miscalculation could arise if one incorrectly assumes equal removal from bonding and antibonding levels or miscounts the electrons in the π* set. The actual reduction in antibonding electrons for O2+ is one electron, not enough to drop to 1.5 from 2.0 without altering the fundamental accounting of bonding vs antibonding electrons.

Option 1: 1. This would occur if there were significantly more antibonding occupancy relative to bonding, which is not the case for O2+ given its electron removal pattern from the π* set. The standard O2 MO scheme does not support a bond order as low as 1 for the + charge state.

Option 2: 2. This would match the neutral O2 bond order, but removing one electron to form O2+ reduces antibonding occupancy, not leaving the bond order unchanged. Therefore this option undervalues the effect of ionization on the MO occupancy.

Summary: By counting bonding and antibonding electrons in the molecular orbital diagram for O2 and then adjusting for the + charge (one electron removed from antibonding π* orbitals), the resulting bond order is 2.5. The other options either ignore the change in antibonding occupancy or rely on incorrect electron counting in the MO scheme.

Using molecular orbital theory, predict the bond order for the O2+ ion.

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