JEE Advanced · 2023 · 04 Jun 2023 · Paper 2 · Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

${\mathrm{F}}_2$ has 18 electrons. The molecular orbital configuration follows the standard order for second-period homonuclear diatomic molecules. For ${\mathrm{F}}_2$, the ${\sigma }_{2p}$ orbital is lower in energy than the ${\pi }_{2p}$ orbitals. The correct diagram shows the proper filling order and energy levels, with all bonding and antibonding orbitals filled according to the aufbau principle and Hund's rule. Option (C) correctly represents this configuration.