I answered this for someone last night. What you want to do is to look for unpaired electrons. That leads to paramagnetism. Elements in which all electrons are paired are diamagnetic.
Here is how you do the first one, C^+2.
First, let's do the electron configuration of the element.
6C = 1s2 2s2 2p2
When we make the +2 ion, we remove the outer two electrons so the +2 ion has an electron configuration of
1s2 2s2
Remembering that the s orbital may hold only two electrons, we know that the electrons in this arrangement must be paired; therefore, C^+2 is diamagnetic. The others are done the same way.
Regarding the F problem, you know F2 is very reactive; however, it is stable as a molecule.
Molecular Orbitals
1.Which of the following diatomic species are paramagnetic and which are diamagnetic?
a.C2^2+
b.B2^2-
c.Li2^-
2.Arrange the following in order of decreasing stability.
a.F2
b.F2^-
c.F2+
I know that as you go to higher subshells like from s -p-d-f the energy increases.
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