Hybridization of Carbon

[Talia Leano 2H]

When carbon forms its sp3 hybrid orbital where does the number 3 come from?

[Leo Naylor 2F]

The number 3 comes from the fact that there are three separate p-orbitals used to form the sp³ hybridization,

[Brandon Pham 1H]

It comes from the fact that there are 3 electron structures bound to Carbon in a molecule.
4 bonds + 0 lone pairs = sp3 hybridization
3 bonds + 1 lone pair = sp3 hybridization
2 bonds + 2 lone pairs = sp3 hybridization... etc

[Kaylee Messick 3J]

I believe the number 3 comes from when one of the electrons in the s-orbital moves the unfilled p-orbital, so that there are 3 unpaired electrons. This means that carbon is able to form 4 bonds with the new sp3 hybrid orbitals. Hope this helps!

[Brandon McClelland3L]

1 s orbital + 3 p orbitals = 4 potential bonds.

[LovepreetSran_3H]

It has 4 potential bonds, therefore, 1 s orbital and 3 p orbital.

[Keshav Patel 14B 2B]

The 3 from the sp3 comes from the 3 atomic orbitals that p has. For example D has 5 orbitals and f has 7 as well as s having one. S does not have a number because the one is just one so its just S.

[rhettfarmer-3H]

comes from the fact there are four bonds that can be made from carbon and therefore, there are 4 regions of electron density. This correlates to sp^3 because it's a combination of 1s and 3p's which makes 4 regions. Likewise, with the other 2 regions is sp and 3 regions would be sp^2. 4 regions goes to d because p only has 3 orbitals hence its sp^3d

[allyssa bradley 1H]

Carbon needs full 8-e valence shell, which will always be 4 bonds and/or lone pairs

[Elizabeth Kaplan 3I]

The number 3 comes from the fact that Carbon has 4 regions of electron density, 1 orbital from the s subshell and 3 orbitals from the p subshell. Thus, the 3 in sp3 represents the 3 orbitals in the p-subshell.

[Jacob Schwarz-Discussion 3I]

Because Carbon has 4 valence electrons, it forms 4 bonds. 1 electron in the S state and three unpaired electrons in the P state. Therefore sp3