Chemistry

Question Analysis
This question involves applying Hund’s Rule to count unpaired electrons.
The main focus is on determining the electron distribution in the 2p subshell of oxygen and identifying unpaired electrons.

Key Concept Explanation
Hund’s Rule: Electrons occupy degenerate orbitals (same energy, e.g., 2pₓ, 2pᵧ, 2p_z) singly with parallel spins before any orbital is doubly occupied. Unpaired electrons are those without a spin partner in an orbital.

Step-by-Step Solution
1. Neutral O has 8 electrons; configuration: 1s²2s²2p⁴.
2. The 2p subshell has 3 degenerate orbitals.
3. Fill 2p orbitals per Hund’...