The total number of molecular orbitals formed from 2s and 2p atomic orbitals of a diatomic molecule is .
Answer
8
Solution
Each atom: one 2s + three 2p = 4 AOs ⇒ two atoms = 8 AOs
∵ number of MOs = number of AOs combined
2s: 2s, *2s (2)
2p: 2pz, *2pz, 2px, 2py, *2px, *2py (6)
∴ Total = 2 + 6 = 8
Answer: 8