Define bond order. How is it related to the stability of a molecule ?

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Definition of Bond Order:**
- Bond order is defined as half the difference between the number of bonding electrons and the number of anti-bonding electrons in a molecule. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
\[ \text{Bond Order} = \frac{1}{2} \times (\text{Number of Bonding Electrons} - \text{Number of Anti-bonding Electrons}) \]

2. **Calculation of Bond Order:**
- To calculate the bond order, you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Bond Order} = \frac{1}{2} \times (\text{Number of Electrons in Bonding Orbitals} - \text{Number of Electrons in Anti-bonding Orbitals}) \]
- This formula helps in determining the bond order based on the electron configuration of the molecule.

3. **Relationship Between Bond Order and Stability:**
- The bond order is directly related to the stability of a molecule. As the bond order increases, the stability of the molecule also increases. This is because a higher bond order indicates a greater number of bonding interactions compared to anti-bonding interactions, leading to a stronger bond.

4. **Conclusion:**
- In summary, bond order is a crucial concept in understanding molecular stability. A higher bond order correlates with increased stability of the molecule.

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