Free Online Bond Order Calculator

Bond Order Calculator

A Bond Order Calculator helps determine the bond order of a molecule, which indicates the stability and strength of the chemical bonds between atoms. The bond order is a key concept in chemistry, reflecting the number of bonds between two atoms in a molecule.

The number of electrons that occupy the bonding molecular orbitals.
The number of electrons that occupy the antibonding molecular orbitals.

What is Bond Order?

Bond order is a measure of the stability of a bond between two atoms in a molecule. It is defined as half the difference between the number of bonding electrons and the number of antibonding electrons. The bond order provides insight into the strength and length of the bond:

  • Bond Order = 1: Single bond
  • Bond Order = 2: Double bond
  • Bond Order = 3: Triple bond

Higher bond orders generally indicate stronger and shorter bonds.

Bond Order Formula - Molecular Orbital Theory

In molecular orbital theory, the bond order is calculated using the formula:

Bond Order=12(Number of Bonding ElectronsNumber of Antibonding Electrons)\text{Bond Order} = \frac{1}{2} \left( \text{Number of Bonding Electrons} - \text{Number of Antibonding Electrons} \right)

Steps to Calculate Bond Order:

  1. Draw the Molecular Orbital Diagram: Determine the molecular orbitals (bonding and antibonding) based on the number of electrons.
  2. Count the Electrons: Fill the bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals with electrons according to the Aufbau principle.
  3. Calculate Bond Order: Use the formula to find the bond order.

How to Calculate Bond Order? - Examples

Example 1: Oxygen Molecule (O₂)

  1. Determine the Molecular Orbitals:

    • The molecular orbital configuration for O₂ is: (σ1s2σ2s2σ2px2π2py1π2pz1)(\sigma_{1s}^2 \sigma_{2s}^2 \sigma_{2p_x}^2 \pi_{2p_y}^1 \pi_{2p_z}^1).
  2. Count the Electrons:

    • Bonding electrons: 2 (σ1s\sigma_{1s}) + 2 (σ2s\sigma_{2s}) + 4 (π2px\pi_{2p_x} and π2py\pi_{2p_y}) = 8 electrons
    • Antibonding electrons: 2 (π2pz\pi_{2p_z}) = 2 electrons
  3. Calculate Bond Order:

    • Bond Order = 12(82)=62=3\frac{1}{2} \left(8 - 2\right) = \frac{6}{2} = 3

Example 2: Nitrogen Molecule (N₂)

  1. Determine the Molecular Orbitals:

    • The molecular orbital configuration for N₂ is: (σ1s2σ2s2σ2px2π2py1π2pz1)(\sigma_{1s}^2 \sigma_{2s}^2 \sigma_{2p_x}^2 \pi_{2p_y}^1 \pi_{2p_z}^1).
  2. Count the Electrons:

    • Bonding electrons: 2 (σ1s\sigma_{1s}) + 2 (σ2s\sigma_{2s}) + 4 (π2px\pi_{2p_x} and π2py\pi_{2p_y}) = 8 electrons
    • Antibonding electrons: 0
  3. Calculate Bond Order:

    • Bond Order = 12(80)=82=4\frac{1}{2} \left(8 - 0\right) = \frac{8}{2} = 4

How to Find Bond Order? - Valence Bond Theory

In valence bond theory, bond order is often inferred from the number of shared electron pairs between atoms. The steps include:

  1. Draw the Lewis Structure: Determine the number of electron pairs shared between atoms.
  2. Count the Shared Pairs: Each shared pair represents a bond. A single pair is a single bond, two pairs make a double bond, and three pairs make a triple bond.

For Example:

  • Water (H₂O): Each H-O bond is a single bond, so the bond order is 1.
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): Each C=O bond is a double bond, so the bond order is 2.

By combining both molecular orbital theory and valence bond theory, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of bond order and bond strength in molecules.


More Sales Calculators

More Physical chemistry Calculators

More Fitness Calculators

More Fitness-Health Calculators

More Water tank and vessels Calculators

More Equity investment Calculators

More Debt management Calculators

More Leisure and fun Calculators

More Microeconomics Calculators

More Stoichiometry Calculators