A molecular orbital is a region of space in a covalent species where electrons are likely to be found. The combination of two at
omic orbitals always forms two molecular orbitals; the bonding molecular orbital, which is _____ in energy, and the antibonding molecular orbital, which is _____ in energy, than the original atomic orbitals.
Electrons in bondingmolecularorbitals help to hold the positively charged nuclei together, and they are always lower in energy than the original atomic orbitals.
Electrons in antibondingmolecularorbitals are primarily located outside the internuclear region, leading to increased repulsions between the positively charged nuclei. They are always higher in energy than the parent atomic orbitals.
