Hybridization

[Bailey Giovanoli 1L]

Does hybridization occur in all molecules? Dr. Lavelle gave the example of ammonia and CH4. Is there something special about these molecules? If so, what is it?

[Sophia Hu 1A]

I don't believe hybridization always occurs.

For instance, H2 would not include hybridization because it already has the one unpaired electron that will combine with the other unpaired electron from another hydrogen atom. I believe this does not require hybridization because it is two s-orbitals.

However, I think with the more complex molecules we are discussing in class hybridization will occur.

With the example Dr. Lavelle gives, there is a combination of the s and p-orbital and this is why there is hybridization. In order to match the VSEPR model of shape that we already know, we must invoke the hybridization scheme of sp^3 for CH4 and NH3.

[Kiran Singh 3A]

I believe that hybridization can occur in most molecules (depending on the amount of valence electrons of the central atom(s)) because it is just the joining of separate orbitals into a hybridized orbital. Note that hybridization only really accounts for valence electrons. Hope this helps.

[Nika Gladkov 1A]

Hybridization occurs when the molecules don't have enough room in their orbitals to share electrons. For example, for CH4, carbon wants to form 4 bonds by sharing electrons to fill its octet. However, it has 2 electrons in the 2s orbital and 2 electrons in the 2p orbital, which makes it difficult for all of them to be shared because the p electrons are higher energy. Furthermore, if carbon were to share its 4 electrons to get an octet, it would not have enough room in the 2p for all 8 electrons. To solve this, carbon combines its 2s and 2p orbitals to make sp3, which gives it 4 orbitals with 1 electron in each. Now it can easily share each of its electrons with hydrogen to form a covalent bond. It can also easily put all 8 of its shared electrons into the 4 orbitals to fulfill the octet rule.

Hope this helps!

[Bailey Giovanoli 1L]

Hybridization occurs when the molecules don't have enough room in their orbitals to share electrons. For example, for CH4, carbon wants to form 4 bonds by sharing electrons to fill its octet. However, it has 2 electrons in the 2s orbital and 2 electrons in the 2p orbital, which makes it difficult for all of them to be shared because the p electrons are higher energy. Furthermore, if carbon were to share its 4 electrons to get an octet, it would not have enough room in the 2p for all 8 electrons. To solve this, carbon combines its 2s and 2p orbitals to make sp3, which gives it 4 orbitals with 1 electron in each. Now it can easily share each of its electrons with hydrogen to form a covalent bond. It can also easily put all 8 of its shared electrons into the 4 orbitals to fulfill the octet rule.

Hope this helps!

Okay, thank you:) This helped me a lot! I thought it had something to do with the number of valence electrons not being large enough to form the number of bonds needed.