unused orbitals

[Jared_Yuge]

what do you do when you only need 2 of the p orbitals to hybridize, do you just include the third one anyways or does it stay a p orbital.

[Nohemi Garcia 1L]

You leave it as a regular p orbital since it technically wasn't hybridized.

[Naji Sarsam 1F]

It can stay a p orbital, as there is the hybridization sp2 which is used in molecular geometries with three regions of electron density--such as trigonal planar geometries.

[Alex Chen 2L]

The unused p orbital(s) can be used to form a pi bond in the molecule. In the example Lavelle gave in class (the molecule C2H4), the the two central carbon atoms each had sp2 hybridization and one separate p orbital to form the pi bond between each other.

[Kaylee Clarke 1G]

it is not a part of the hydride orbital so you would not include it in the hybridized orbital