Bond Order Calculator
Calculate and understand molecular bond orders and strengths
Bond order represents the number of electron pairs shared between two atoms in a molecule. It indicates:
- Bond strength: Higher bond order generally means stronger bonds
- Bond length: Higher bond order typically means shorter bonds
- Bond energy: Higher bond order requires more energy to break
Molecular orbital theory explains bonding through the overlap of atomic orbitals:
- Bonding orbitals: Lower energy orbitals that strengthen bonds
- Antibonding orbitals: Higher energy orbitals that weaken bonds
Bond Order = (Bonding electrons - Antibonding electrons) ÷ 2
- Enter the number of electrons in bonding molecular orbitals
- Enter the number of electrons in antibonding molecular orbitals
- Click Calculate to determine:
- Bond order
- Bond type (single, double, triple, etc.)
- Relative bond strength
What does a bond order of zero mean?
A bond order of zero indicates no chemical bond exists between the atoms. This occurs when the number of bonding electrons equals the number of antibonding electrons.
Can bond order be a fraction?
Yes, bond orders can be fractional. For example, a bond order of 1.5 indicates a bond strength between a single and double bond, often found in resonance structures.
How does bond order relate to stability?
Generally, higher bond orders indicate more stable molecules due to stronger bonds. However, overall molecular stability also depends on other factors like molecular geometry and electron configuration.