a
Nittic oxide is paramagnetic in the gaseous state because of the presence of one unpaired electron in its outermost shell.

\({\text { The electronic configuration of } N O \text { is }}\)

\({\sigma_{1 s}^{2} \sigma_{1 s}^{* 2} \sigma_{2 s}^{2} \sigma_{2 s}^{o 2} \sigma_{2 p r s}^{2} \pi_{2 p r}^{2}}\)

\(=\pi_{2 p_{y}}^{2} \pi_{2 p_{z}}^{* 1}\)