What is the electron configuration of nitrogen monoxide?

Question

What is the electron configuration of nitrogen monoxide?

1 Answer

Impact of this question

41505 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2017-08-08T18:14:43

${(σ_{1 s})}_{1 s}^{2} {(σ_{1 s}^{*})}^{2} {(σ_{2 s})}_{2 s}^{2} {(σ_{2 s}^{*})}^{2} {(π_{2 p_{x}})}_{2 p_{x}}^{2} {(π_{2 p_{y}})}_{2 p_{y}}^{2} {(σ_{2 p_{z}})}_{2 p_{z}}^{2} {(π_{2 p_{x}}^{*})}^{1}$ $(sigma_(1s))^2(sigma_(1s)^"*")^2(sigma_(2s))^2(sigma_(2s)^"*")^2(pi_(2p_x))^2(pi_(2p_y))^2(sigma_(2p_z))^2(pi_(2p_x)^"*")^1$

This requires that we know what the molecular orbital (MO) diagram is for $NO$ $"NO"$ ; here it is (Miessler et al., Answer Key):

(The original was this; I added the orbital depictions and symmetry labels.)

Quick overview of what the labels correspond to what MOs:

$1 a_{1}$ $1a_1$ is the $σ_{2 s}$ $sigma_(2s)$ bonding MO.
$2 a_{1}$ $2a_1$ is the $σ_{2 s}^{*}$ $sigma_(2s)^"*"$ antibonding MO.
$1 b_{1}$ $1b_1$ is the $π_{2 p_{x}}$ $pi_(2p_x)$ bonding MO.
$1 b_{2}$ $1b_2$ is the $π_{2 p_{y}}$ $pi_(2p_y)$ bonding MO.
$3 a_{1}$ $3a_1$ is the $σ_{2 p_{z}}$ $sigma_(2p_z)$ bonding MO, but it's relatively nonbonding with respect to oxygen.
$2 b_{1}$ $2b_1$ is the $π_{2 p_{x}}^{*}$ $pi_(2p_x)^"*"$ antibonding MO.
$2 b_{2}$ $2b_2$ is the $π_{2 p_{y}}^{*}$ $pi_(2p_y)^"*"$ antibonding MO.
$4 a_{1}$ $4a_1$ is the $σ_{2 p_{z}}^{*}$ $sigma_(2p_z)^"*"$ antibonding MO.

As a further note, the $2 s - 2 s$ $2s-2s$ overlap is the same idea as the $1 s - 1 s$ $1s-1s$ overlap. So, the molecular electron configuration would be written in a similar manner as the atomic counterpart, but using molecular orbitals instead.

We obtain:

${(σ_{1 s})}_{1 s}^{2} {(σ_{1 s}^{*})}^{2} {(σ_{2 s})}_{2 s}^{2} {(σ_{2 s}^{*})}^{2} {(π_{2 p_{x}})}_{2 p_{x}}^{2} {(π_{2 p_{y}})}_{2 p_{y}}^{2} {(σ_{2 p_{z}})}_{2 p_{z}}^{2} {(π_{2 p_{x}}^{*})}^{1}$ $color(blue)((sigma_(1s))^2(sigma_(1s)^"*")^2(sigma_(2s))^2(sigma_(2s)^"*")^2(pi_(2p_x))^2(pi_(2p_y))^2(sigma_(2p_z))^2(pi_(2p_x)^"*")^1)$

Or, another way to write this is in the notation seen in the MO diagram, with $K K_{σ}$ $KK_(sigma)$ indicating the filled $σ_{1 s}$ $sigma_(1s)$ and $σ_{1 s}^{*}$ $sigma_(1s)^"*"$ core orbitals:

$overbrace(color(blue)(KK_(sigma)))^((sigma_(1s))^2(sigma_(1s)^"*")^2)underbrace(color(blue)((1a_1)^2(2a_1)^2))_((sigma_(2s))^2(sigma_(2s)^"*")^2)overbrace(color(blue)((1b_1)^2(1b_2)^2))^((pi_(2p_x))^2(pi_(2p_y))^2)overbrace(color(blue)((3a_1)^2))^((sigma_(2p_z))^2)underbrace(color(blue)((2b_1)^1))_((pi_(2p_x)^"*")^1)$

Science

Math

Humanities

... and beyond

What is the electron configuration of nitrogen monoxide?

1 Answer

Related questions

Impact of this question