# Is Molecular Orbital Theory really helpful?

Who am I kidding? Of course it is. But, everywhere I look, the series of increasing levels of orbitals is till
σ*2pz only

That's all.
So if I need to find bond order of , say, some molecule with greater number of e- like BF3 with 24 electrons, how do I proceed?

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In this sort of thing, it helps to know the geometry and any symmetry the molecule may have. In the case of ## sp^3 ## hybridization, if I remember correctly, (it has been quite a few years since I took a sequence of undergraduate chemistry courses, and it also showed up later in a physics group theory graduate course), you get 4 orbitals that form a tetrahedron around the central atom, and if you only have 3 atoms to attach, you may be left with a lone pair of electrons on the 4th corner of the tetrahedron. I haven't used this stuff a lot, but yes, it can be useful. ## \\ ## Edit: And a subsequent google shows I have it correct: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introchem/chapter/sp3-hybridization/

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prakhargupta3301
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