Hybridized orbital number


Moderators: Chem_Mod, Chem_Admin

Chris Tai 1B
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:16 am

Hybridized orbital number

Postby Chris Tai 1B » Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:06 pm

How do you determine whether the hybridization of the valence electrons has a 2 compared to 3 in front of it?
For instance, why is the bond between the carbon and hydrogen sigma(H1s^2, C2sp^2) instead of sigma(H1s^2, C3sp^2)? Could someone give me an example of an atom that forms 3sp^2 or 3sp^3 hybridizations compared to an atom that forms 2sp^2 or 2sp^3 hybridizations?

Veronica_Lubera_2A
Posts: 106
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2019 12:16 am
Been upvoted: 1 time

Re: Hybridized orbital number

Postby Veronica_Lubera_2A » Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:56 pm

The coefficient in front of the hybridization is the row number. That is why when C is in the second row, it has a 2sp2 bond hybridization.

An example with sp3 hybridization is H2O: the Oxygen will have 2sp3 hybridization because it is in the second row and has 4 regions of electron density (2 single bonds and 2 lone pairs around it).

Another example, PCL3, also has sp3 hybridization (3 single bonds and a lone pair). But Phosphorous in this case has 3sp3 hybridization because it is in the third row of the periodic table.


Return to “Hybridization”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests