Question

How many sigma bonds and pi bonds are there in a chlorine molecule? Justify your answer.

Short answer

Answer: In a chlorine molecule, there is 1 sigma bond and 0 pi bonds. This is because the chlorine molecule has a single covalent bond formed by the head-on overlap of atomic orbitals from each chlorine atom, which creates a sigma bond. There are no multiple bonds (i.e., double or triple bonds) in a chlorine molecule, so no pi bonds are present.

Step-by-step solution

Structure of a chlorine molecule

A chlorine molecule (Cl2) consists of two chlorine atoms. In its ground state, the atomic configuration of chlorine is represented as 2,8,7, which means it has 7 electrons in its outermost shell (valence shell). To attain a stable configuration, it requires one more electron to complete its octet (i.e., have 8 electrons in its valence shell). In the chlorine molecule, each chlorine atom shares a single electron with the other chlorine atom, leading to the formation of a single covalent bond between the two chlorine atoms.

Types of covalent bonds

There are two types of covalent bonds - sigma (σ) bonds and pi (π) bonds. Sigma bonds are formed by the head-on overlap of atomic orbitals between two atoms, resulting in a single bond. Pi bonds are formed by the side-by-side overlap of atomic orbitals, resulting in bonds that are weaker than sigma bonds. Pi bonds are generally found in molecules with multiple bonds, such as double or triple bonds.

Sigma and pi bonds in a chlorine molecule

In a chlorine molecule (Cl2), there is only a single covalent bond between the two chlorine atoms. This bond is formed by the head-on overlap of atomic orbitals from each chlorine atom, creating a sigma bond. Since there are no multiple bonds (i.e., double or triple bonds) in a chlorine molecule, there are no pi bonds present. So, in a chlorine molecule, there is: - 1 sigma bond - 0 pi bonds This can be justified by the fact that a chlorine molecule has a single covalent bond between its two chlorine atoms and no multiple bonds involving pi bonds.