Assertion (A): Sodium superoxide, NaO2, is paramagnetic. Reason (R): The superoxide ion O2^- has an oxidation number of -(1)/(2) on each O atom and contains one unpaired electron. Choose the correct option.

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

JEE Main levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 2 of 3bn028

Assertion (A): Sodium superoxide, $NaO X_{2}$ , is paramagnetic. Reason (R): The superoxide ion $O X_{2} X^{-}$ has an oxidation number of $- \frac{1}{2}$ on each O atom and contains one unpaired electron. Choose the correct option.

NaO X_{2}

the two O total

- 1

, so each is

- \frac{1}{2}

. The ion

O X_{2} X^{-}

has 13 valence electrons, with one unpaired electron in a

π^{*}

orbital, which makes it paramagnetic. Both statements are true and R explains A.