Which of the following has the minimum bond length ?

Options

(a) O₂⁺
(b) O₂⁻
(c) O₂²⁻
(d) O₂

Correct Answer:

O₂⁺

Explanation:

Bond order is defined as half of the difference between the number of bonding and antibonding electrons
= (n(b)-n(a))/2
For O₂⁺ = (10-5)/2 = 2.5
For O₂⁻ = (10-7)/2 = 1.5
For O₂²⁻ = (10-8)/2 = 1
For O₂ = (10-6)/2 = 2

This is the highest so, it will have the minimum bond length.