## 2F15

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

Maeve Miller 1A
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 12:16 am

### 2F15

Why does the bond angle increase as the s-character of the hybrid increase?

Brian_Ho_2B
Posts: 221
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 12:16 am

### Re: 2F15

As the hybridized orbital has more s character (meaning less p character), the less regions of electron density are around a particular atom. For instance, if we compare sp3 to sp2, the s character increased (25% to 33%) and there is one less region of electron density, so the shape went from a tetrahedral electron arrangement to a trigonal planar arrangement. The angle went from 109.5 degrees to 120 degrees. If we go from sp2 to sp, then there's two regions of electron density around an atom, making it linear, so the angle is now 180 degrees (compared to sp2, which was 120 degrees).

Maeve Miller 1A
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 12:16 am

### Re: 2F15

Oh, I didn't realize s-character was interchangeable with p-character. That makes much more sense. Thank you!

Alan Wu
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2019 12:16 am

### Re: 2F15

Brian_Ho_1F wrote:As the hybridized orbital has more s character (meaning less p character), the less regions of electron density are around a particular atom. For instance, if we compare sp3 to sp2, the s character increased (25% to 33%) and there is one less region of electron density, so the shape went from a tetrahedral electron arrangement to a trigonal planar arrangement. The angle went from 109.5 degrees to 120 degrees. If we go from sp2 to sp, then there's two regions of electron density around an atom, making it linear, so the angle is now 180 degrees (compared to sp2, which was 120 degrees).

But is that all there is to solving this problem? Does the orbital's S-character relate to greater areas of electron density with no nodes? If that's the case, do the larger regions of electron density around the central atom result in larger bonding angles due to repulsion?

VioletKo3F
Posts: 103
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2019 12:18 am

### Re: 2F15

To give an example, sp hybridization has a bond angle of 180 while sp2 has a bond angle of 120. The s-characteristic of the sp hybridization is larger and has a larger bond angle.