Question

Explain the postulates of Molecular Orbital Theory.

Answer 1

Hint: This question is asked from the chapter of chemical bonding. This theory is about the chemical bonding of a molecule. The molecular orbital theory is one of the advanced theories regarding the chemical bond.

Complete step by step answer:
We know that the molecular orbital theory is one of the advanced theories in the chemical bond. So we can go through the postulates of the molecular orbital theory, they are:
Molecular orbitals are the new orbitals in a molecule in which the electrons are present
Atomic orbitals are combined together to form the molecular orbitals. All the atomic orbitals will not be combined to form molecular orbitals. In the homonuclear molecules, the atomic orbitals are of equal energies while in the heteronuclear molecules the atomic orbitals will have comparable energy.
The number of atomic orbitals undergoing combination will be equal to the number of molecular orbitals formed.
Two molecular orbitals are formed by the combination of two atomic orbitals. One molecular orbital has low energy and others will have high energy. The molecular orbital with higher energy is called antibonding molecular orbital and molecular orbital having lower energy is called bonding molecular orbitals.
The shapes of molecular orbitals will depend upon the shape of the atomic orbital which combined to form this molecular orbital.

Note: Electronic structure of molecules are explained by the method of molecular orbital theory by using quantum mechanics. We know that the advanced theory for the structure of an atom is quantum mechanics.