Which of the following is diamagnetic?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

BPSC AE Paper 3 (General Studies) 14 Oct 2022 Official Paper

Answer 1

The correct answer is O2-2.

Key Points

O^2-₂ is diamagnetic.
Diamagnetic substances are those which do not have any unpaired electrons and are not attracted to a magnetic field.
In the molecular orbital theory, the O^2-₂ ion has all its electrons paired, leading to its diamagnetic nature.
Other options such as O⁺₂, O^-₂, and O₂ have unpaired electrons, making them paramagnetic.

Additional Information

Diamagnetism is a property that arises from the pairing of electrons in an atom or molecule.
The presence of unpaired electrons in a species leads to paramagnetism, which is the opposite of diamagnetism.
Molecular orbital theory helps in understanding the magnetic properties of diatomic molecules by considering the filling of molecular orbitals with electrons.