Single, Double, and Triple Bonds

[Alan Chang]

I was wondering if knowing whether the central atom has single, double, or triple bonds would help in determining its hybridization.

[Mona Lee 4L]

When determining hybridization, it is important to know how many areas of electron density are around an atom. Like we discussed in class, CH4 and NH3 have the same hybridization, even though one is tetrahedral and one is trigonal pyramidal. As a result, you need to know what type of bonds are around an atom, not because the type of bond determines the hybridization, but because the type of bonds will influence the number of areas of electron density, which will influence the hybridization.