Can you use molecular orbital theory to explain why fluorine is such a highly reactive gas?

The F2 molecular orbital diagram shows 4e- are in the highest energy antibonding (destabilizing) molecular orbitals resulting in a bond order = 1.

Single bonds are easier to break and therefore more reactive. So the answer is yes.

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shrutiagrawal1798 shrutiagrawal1798 · Answer 2 · 2022-02-28T07:53:14+01:00

The reactivity of fluorine can be explained from molecular orbital theory with the calculation of the bond order.

What is molecular orbital theory?

The molecular orbital theory is assigned to explain the movement of the electrons in the bonding and anti-bonding orbitals.

The number of atom in the bonding and anti-bonding atomic orbits results in the elucidation of the bond order for the element.

The bond order and reactivity are inversely proportional to each other. The higher bond order depicts the presence of stronger bonds between the molecules and lower reactivity.

The bond order of fluorine atom is elucidated from the molecular orbital theory. The bond order of fluorine atom is 1, that explains the high reactivity of fluorine.

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