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

There are fifteen molecular orbitals in benzene filled with electrons.

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.