## Unhybridized orbitals

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

Jenny Chau 1I
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:33 pm

### Unhybridized orbitals

I was reviewing hybridization and I think I started confusing myself but how do we know if there is an unhybridized p orbital when doing hybridization?

Steph Du 1H
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### Re: Unhybridized orbitals

The number of hybridized orbitals is equal to the number of regions of electron density. So, if you had a central atom with 3 regions of electron density, you would need 3 hybridized orbitals: sp2. Then, you'd have one unhybridized p orbital left.

Ethan Laureano 3H
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:58 pm

### Re: Unhybridized orbitals

I believe unhybridized orbitals arise when there are less regions of electron density than there are valence electrons of the element (but I am only theorizing based on one example: C). When Prof. Lavelle was lecturing about sp2, he used Carbon, an element with four valence electrons. Since there are three regions of electron density, the hybridized orbitals would be three sp2 orbitals. The remaining valence electron would then be the unhybridized p-orbital.

Earl Garrovillo 2L
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:55 pm

### Re: Unhybridized orbitals

Since the number of electron density regions is equivalent to the amount of hybridized orbitals, whatever's left is unhybridized. For instance, in a compound there's 2 e- density regions which means there's 2 hybridized orbitals, or a sp hybridization. Since the p subshell has 3 orbitals but only 1 is being used as a hybrid orbital, we'd say there's 2 unhybridized orbital in the p subshell. Same logic applies for increasing numbers of e- density regions into the spd hybridizations.

Gian Boco 2G
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:36 pm

### Re: Unhybridized orbitals

I think you would look at the number of regions of electron density vs the number of valence electrons available to that atom. For example, a carbon that has three regions of electron density would have 3 sp3 hybridized orbitals and 1 sp that isn't. Carbon has 4 valence electrons.

Bai Rong Lin 2K
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:54 pm

### Re: Unhybridized orbitals

Earl Garrovillo 1K wrote:Since the number of electron density regions is equivalent to the amount of hybridized orbitals, whatever's left is unhybridized. For instance, in a compound there's 2 e- density regions which means there's 2 hybridized orbitals, or a sp hybridization. Since the p subshell has 3 orbitals but only 1 is being used as a hybrid orbital, we'd say there's 2 unhybridized orbital in the p subshell. Same logic applies for increasing numbers of e- density regions into the spd hybridizations.

This answer is relatively what I understand about hybridization and also taught me something I didn't know as well!

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