Lone pairs effect hybridization

[Natalie LeRaybaud 1G]

Do lone pairs effect hybridization? And if so what would be the hybridization of an atom with more than 4 or 5 electron domains ?

[Curtis Tam 1J]

Yes you must take the lone pairs into consideration. When there are more than 5 bonding regions, let's just say 6, then you would have a hybridization of sp3d2. I don't think you will run into many situations where there are 7 bonding regions but if there are im guessing you would increase the number of d orbitals. Not too sure on that.

[skalvakota2H]

Yes, the lone pairs do count as an electron group towards the hybridization of the central atom since hybridization is based on electron density, which consists of the bonds and lone pairs.

As for atoms with four regions of electron density, the central atom would be sp3 hybridized. Once the number of electron density regions exceeds four, the d orbitals become hybrid orbitals as seen in the above example.

[Phillip Winters 2F]

When counting regions of electron density around an atom to determine hybridization, you would include the lone pairs