--- title: "MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw" url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-mo-h2/ description: "MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ template: Molecular orbital energy diagrams of H₂ (bond order 1) and He₂ (bond order 0) with electrons as spin arrows, σ1s and σ*1s…" lang: en publisher: Scidart Academy generated: 2026-10-28 --- [MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/general-and-inorganic/) › MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ [General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/general-and-inorganic/)Premium # MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ template ![MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ template: Molecular orbital energy diagrams of H₂ (bond order 1) and He₂ (bond order 0) with electrons as spin arrows, σ1s and σ*1s, configuration and bond order.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-mo-h2.webp) [Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)Download with Pro Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of [MolDraw Pro](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing). Molecular orbital energy diagrams of H₂ (bond order 1) and He₂ (bond order 0) with electrons as spin arrows, σ1s and σ*1s, configuration and bond order. ## What the template shows - Two 1s atomic orbitals give one bonding and one antibonding molecular orbital - Two 1s orbitals combine in phase (σ1s, bonding) and out of phase (σ*1s, antibonding) - Bond order = ½ (2 − 0) = 1 - diamagnetic (all electrons paired) - Dihelium (not bound) - Four electrons fill σ1s and σ*1s: the antibonding pair cancels the bond, so He₂ does not form - Bond order = ½ (2 − 2) = 0 - n atomic orbitals give n molecular orbitals: here σ1s (lower than 1s) and σ*1s (raised a little more than σ1s is lowered). - Bond order = ½ (bonding − antibonding electrons): H₂ 1, H₂⁺ ½, He₂ 0. - Electrons fill from the lowest level, at most two per orbital with opposite spins (Pauli). - H₂: bond length 74 pm, bond enthalpy 436 kJ mol⁻¹. Energies are drawn schematically, not to scale. - Every part of this figure is editable · sources on the template card Drawn with 253 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw. ## Sources - [Atkins, de Paula & Keeler, Atkins' Physical Chemistry, 11th ed., OUP 2018, ch. 9](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780198769866) Textbook - [Miessler, Fischer & Tarr, Inorganic Chemistry, 5th ed., Pearson 2014, ch. 5](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780321811059) Textbook ## How to use this template 1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor. 2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need. 3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page. 4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ template free? You can preview the MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates. ### Can I edit the MO diagram: H₂ and He₂ template? Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it. ### Is the chemistry checked? Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page. ### Which MO diagrams are included? 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