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Look at the plot for the formation of a molecular orbital for dihelium molecule

ID: 808395 • Letter: L

Question

Look at the plot for the formation of a molecular orbital for dihelium molecule (a molecule composed of two helium atoms). The two wave functions for a bonding orbital and an anti-bonding orbital actually cancel each other out in the area between the two atoms. The positively charged nuclei repel each other due to their proton charge repulsions. The electrons around each nucleus are distributed evenly. The top plot represents a bonding 1s orbital, while the bottom plot represents an anti-bonding 1s orbital. Which statement about this diagram is not correct?

Explanation / Answer

The last option is the incorrect option , since the graph given represents only destructive interference of the two 1s orbitals.

the other options are correct as no He2 molecule exists, because the bonding and anti bonding molecular orbitals cancel each other. Also there is a lot of repulsion between two nuclei since the electrons are not concentrated between the two nuclei but are evenly distributed like in atomic orbitals.

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