Question

Testbank Question 47 Consider the molecular orbital model of benzene. In the ground state how many molecular orbitals are filled with electrons?

Answer 1

There are fifteen molecular orbitals in benzene filled with electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

Benzene is an aromatic compound. Let us consider the number of bonding molecular orbitals that should be present in the molecule;

There are 6 C-C σ bonds, these will occupy six bonding molecular orbitals filled with electrons.

There are 6 C-H σ bonds, these will occupy another six molecular orbitals filled with electrons

The are 3 C=C π bonds., these will occupy three bonding molecular pi orbitals.

All these bring the total number of bonding molecular orbitals filled with electrons to fifteen bonding molecular orbitals.