Class NEET 2026 ALL Q #1976
KNOWLEDGE BASED
APPLY
4 Marks 2026 NTA-RE-NEET-2026 MCQ SINGLE
The correct statement is
(A) Aluminium has five valence orbitals.
(B) Boron has a maximum covalency of four.
(C) Beryllium has three valence orbitals.
(D) Magnesium has a maximum covalency of four.
Correct Answer: B

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Detailed Solution

Step 1: Analyze Option (A)

Aluminium ($Z=13$) has the electronic configuration $[Ne] 3s^2 3p^1$. It has four valence orbitals ($3s, 3p_x, 3p_y, 3p_z$). Thus, the statement that it has five valence orbitals is incorrect.

Step 2: Analyze Option (B)

Boron ($Z=5$) has the configuration $1s^2 2s^2 2p^1$. It has only four valence orbitals ($2s, 2p_x, 2p_y, 2p_z$). Due to the absence of d-orbitals, it cannot expand its octet beyond 8 electrons, limiting its maximum covalency to 4 (e.g., in $[BF_4]^-$). This statement is correct.

Step 3: Analyze Option (C)

Beryllium ($Z=4$) has the configuration $1s^2 2s^2$. It has four valence orbitals ($2s, 2p_x, 2p_y, 2p_z$). The statement claiming it has three valence orbitals is incorrect.

Step 4: Analyze Option (D)

Magnesium ($Z=12$) has the configuration $[Ne] 3s^2$. It has nine valence orbitals ($3s, 3p_x, 3p_y, 3p_z, 3d_{xy}, 3d_{yz}, 3d_{zx}, 3d_{x^2-y^2}, 3d_{z^2}$). Because it has vacant d-orbitals, its covalency can exceed four. Thus, the statement is incorrect.

Final Answer: (B)

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Pedagogical Audit
Bloom's Analysis: This is an APPLY question because the student must apply knowledge of electronic configurations and orbital availability to determine the chemical bonding limits of specific elements.
Knowledge Dimension: CONCEPTUAL
Justification: The question tests the understanding of periodic trends, orbital theory, and the octet rule rather than simple rote memorization of facts.
Syllabus Audit: In the context of NEET, this is classified as KNOWLEDGE. It directly assesses the fundamental understanding of the p-block and s-block elements' bonding characteristics, which is a core requirement for the NEET Chemistry syllabus.