Labeling Compounds
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Labeling Compounds
In class today he labeled methane (CH4) as C2sp^3 H1s. Why is it not 2sp^4 if there are four regions of electron density?
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Re: Labeling Compounds
Because there are only 3 p orbitals that exist and can be filled and s also contributes an orbital, so there is a total of 4 areas of electron density/orbitals
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Re: Labeling Compounds
The first region of electron density will be in the s hybridization orbital since it fills up first just like with regular atomic orbitals
Re: Labeling Compounds
There is an understood 1 after the s in the sp3 hybridization of methane (s1p3). Methane has four regions of electron density and uses 1 s-orbital and 3 p-orbitals, making a total of 4 hybridized orbitals. Thus, compounds or molecules with 4 regions of electron density (such as methane) have an sp3 hybridization. Hope this helped!
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Re: Labeling Compounds
you can think of it as kind of the "_" that are drawn for the electron orbitals. There are only three p orbitals and thats why it does not go higher than sp3
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