Past exam of the chemistry A course of the University of Cambridge / 2025 / Paper 1 / A2 / d

Keeping the same two spin states but incorrectly imposing boson exchange symmetry would require a symmetric total wavefunction. The spin-antisymmetric singlet state would then accompany ${\Phi }_{-}$, while the spin-symmetric triplet state would accompany ${\Phi }_{+}$. Thusand $\boxed{E_T^{\mathrm{hypothetical}}-E_S^{\mathrm{hypothetical}}=2K}$. The ordering reverses: the triplet would be destabilized by $2K$ relative to the singlet. A genuinely spinless boson would have no singlet/triplet spin distinction; this comparison changes exchange symmetry while retaining the question's spin degrees of freedom.