During the change of to , the incoming electron goes to the orbital:

Question

During the change of  to , the incoming electron goes to the orbital:

Canvas Classes · Accepted Answer

Step 1 — MO configuration of  (16 electrons):

The HOMO (highest occupied MO) of  is the degenerate  level, each with 1 electron.

Step 2 — Adding one electron to form :
The 17th electron enters one of the half-filled  orbitals (by Aufbau principle).

The incoming electron goes to  (or  — both are equivalent).

Answer: Option (2) —

More questions from Chemical Bonding