he order of a covalent bond is a guide to its strength; a bond between two given atoms becomes stronger as the bond order increases. If the distribution of electrons in the molecular orbitals between two atoms is such that the resulting bond would have a bond order of zero, a stable bond does not form. The more antibausting present, the more unstable the molecule. Critical Thinking Questions 12. Which of the following will have the shortest bond length: N, N, or N-? Explain your reasoning 13. Explain why two of these molecules have approximately the same bond length 14. Rank the following molecules in terms of their bond energy from the largest to the smallest: N2, N2-, or Nz ? Explain your reasoning