Explain oxygen is paramagnetic while c2 is diamagnetic?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Mar 23, 2018

Explanation:

#C_2# only has paired electrons so it is predicted to be diamagnetic.
#O_2# has two unpaired electrons so it's paramagnetic.

Electrons, besides being around the atom in their respective orbitals, also have a spin angular momentum, which could interact with an external magnetic field; unpaired electrons have the same spin, which allows for interaction with the magnetic field.

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