Sigma and Pi bonds and its relation to atomic orbitals.

$sp, sp^{2}, sp^{3}, dsp^{3}, d^{2}sp^{3}$

Daniel Cho Section 1H
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2017 11:40 am

Sigma and Pi bonds and its relation to atomic orbitals.

I have a small question relating to the concept of sigma and pi bonds. I know that when there is a single bond, there is a sigma bond, and double bond having one sigma and one pi bond and so on with the triple bond.

As I was thinking about the sigma and pi bond, is it correct to think that the sigma and pi bonds are related to the atomic orbitals? I was thinking that because a single bond would have one sigma bond because it fills the s orbital which is probably the same as the sigma bond.

Am I correct in thinking about sigma and pi bond are based on the atomic orbitals?

Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:01 am

Re: Sigma and Pi bonds and its relation to atomic orbitals.

Sigma and Pi bonds are related to atomic orbital, but I'm not sure it's how you're thinking about it. I'll relate my understanding of sigma and pi bonds. Thinking about the bond between nitrogen and nitrogen in N2, the 2 Nitrogen atoms are bound by a triple bond, with both Nitrogens having 2Px, 2Py, and 2Pz orbitals populated by 1 e- before they are bound.

There can only be one sigma bond because the remaining valence electrons on both atoms will be perpendicular to the inter-nuclear axis, unable to overlap end to end and form a sigma bond. As a result, the remaining bonds will be pi bonds in which there are two "lobes" which make up the resulting region of electron density that is the bond.