| The sp
        - py,z Sequence |  | 
    
        | The standard sequence of sp
        and py,z |  molecular orbitals. | 
    
        | The change in the sequence of bonding sp and py,z
        orbitals for oxygen and fluorine. |  | 
    
        | Electron configurations across the first complete row
        of the periodic table (lithium and up). |  | 
    
        | The 2s   atomic orbitals are present in
        all of these configurations. |  | 
    
        | The geometry of the non-bonding (1s and 2s) orbitals
        in Be2 |  | 
    
        | The change in the geometry of the non-bonding (1s and
        2s) orbitals as we move across the row of the periodic
        table towards oxygen and fluorine. The orbitals get
        smaller because the nuclear charge is increasing. |  | 
    
        | The geometry of a pi molecular orbital in, for
        example, B2. The shaded region shows where
        electron-electron repulsions are particularly
        unfavorable. |  | 
    
        | The geometry of a sigma molecular orbital in, for
        example, B2 showing that the electron-electron
        repulsions, most effective in the shaded regions, are
        even worse than in the case of the pi orbital's
        electrons. The sigma orbital is consequently less stable
        than the pi orbitals. |  | 
    
        | The geometry of a sigma molecular orbital in O2
        vs B2. |  | 
    
        | The geometry of a pi molecular orbital in, for
        example, O2. |  | 
    
        | Return
        to list of lectures. |  |