In the ?* orbital of carbon monoxide (CO), the lobe on the carbon atom is bigger
ID: 981452 • Letter: I
Question
In the ?* orbital of carbon monoxide (CO), the lobe on the carbon atom is bigger than the lobe on the oxygen atom, but the reverse is true for the ? orbital. What is the reason for this difference?
a. The atomic p orbitals on oxygen are of higher energy, and therefore they contribute more to the ? MO.
b. The atomic p orbitals on carbon are of higher energy, and therefore they contribute more to the ?* MO.
c. The atomic p orbitals on carbon are larger because of the lower electronegativity of carbon, which leads to bigger MO lobes on carbon.
d. The atomic p orbitals on oxygen are smaller because of the higher electronegativity of oxygen, which leads to smaller MO lobes on oxygen.
e. The mixing of p orbitals on carbon and oxygen is better in the ? MO than in the ?* MO.
Explanation / Answer
the correct answer is a.
The atomic p orbitals on oxygen are of higher energy, and therefore they contribute more to the MO.