Calculating Amount of Sigma/Pi Bonds

[Caitlin_Murphy_3C]

How do you calculate the amount of sigma and pi bonds in a molecule? Do you just use the Lewis Structure of the molecule and look at the types on bonds used in the most stable form?

[Michael Nirula]

Yeah I think you would just look at the bonds so N2 which has a triple bond has one sigma bond and 2 pi bonds.

[davidbakalov_lec2_2L]

You can't really just know the amount of sigma and pi bonds by eyeballing the molecular formula, so in most cases you will need to draw out the lewis structure and look at the bonds there to determine it.

[Milena Aragon 2B]

It would be safe to just draw out the Lewis structure and determine it that way. Just remember that a single bond= 1 sigma, double bond= 1 sigma & 1 pi, triple bond= 1 sigma, 2 pi

[JiangJC Dis2K]

Yes, you would need to draw the Lewis Structure and count from there. A single bond has one sigma bond. A double bond has one sigma and one pi. And a triple bond has one sigma and two pi!