Hybrid Orbitals in Chemistry

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Questions and Answers

What is the orientation angle of sp hybrid orbitals?

360°

90°

120°

180° (correct)

Which molecule undergoes sp hybridization forming a linear electron domain geometry?

CH4

NH3

H2O

BeCl2 (correct)

In ethyne (C2H2), how many pi bonds are formed between the carbon atoms?

One

Four

Three

Two (correct)

What hybridization results from the combination of one s orbital and two p orbitals?

sp2 (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the angle between the sp2 hybrid orbitals?

120° (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the predicted hybridization type for boron trifluoride (BF3)?

sp2 (A) Signup and view all the answers

What molecular shape does ammonia (NH3) exhibit?

trigonal pyramidal (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which bond type is formed by end-to-end overlapping of atomic orbitals?

Sigma (s) bond (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate bond angle in a water (H2O) molecule?

104.5˚ (A) Signup and view all the answers

In water, how many sp3 hybrid orbitals on oxygen are used for bonding with hydrogen?

Two (C) Signup and view all the answers

What effect does the lone pair of electrons on nitrogen in NH3 have on the bond angles?

Decreases them from 109.5˚ (A) Signup and view all the answers

How many nonbonding pairs of electrons are found in the oxygen of water (H2O)?

Two (D) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to a paired 2s electron in the context of hybridization discussed?

It is promoted to a higher orbital (C) Signup and view all the answers

What type of hybridization is characterized by combining one s orbital and three p orbitals?

sp3 (D) Signup and view all the answers

In ammonia (NH3), how many of the sp3 hybrid orbitals are half-filled and available for bonding?

3 (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which molecular geometry is associated with sp3 hybridized atoms?

Tetrahedral (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which molecule is an example of sp2 hybridization?

Boron trifluoride (BF3) (D) Signup and view all the answers

What hybridization description applies to the carbon atom in methane (CH4)?

sp3 (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about the lobes of an sp3 hybrid orbital?

One lobe is larger than the other. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the nitrogen atom in ammonia compared to the carbon atom in methane?

Nitrogen has a lone pair of electrons. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of overlap occurs when the s-orbital of one atom overlaps with the half-filled p-orbital of another atom?

s-p overlapping (B) Signup and view all the answers

In which type of overlapping do p-orbitals from two atoms align along the internuclear axis?

p-p overlapping (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of pi (p) bonds?

Cannot be directly observed experimentally (B) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the 2s electron in the formation of a pi bond?

It is promoted to a 2py orbital. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples involves s-s overlapping?

H2 (D) Signup and view all the answers

What effect does the presence of a pi bond have on bond length?

Shortens the bond length compared to single bonds (B) Signup and view all the answers

What type of overlap is specifically referred to as lateral or sidewise overlap?

p-p overlapping (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following compounds is not an example of p-p overlapping?

CaO (A) Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during the hybridization process of beryllium in BeCl2?

An s orbital is mixed with a p orbital to form sp hybrid orbitals. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What character do the sp hybrid orbitals contain?

Equal amounts of s and p character (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the remaining p orbitals after hybridization in beryllium is true?

The remaining p orbitals remain unoccupied. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic shape do sp hybrid orbitals resemble?

They resemble the shape of unhybridized p orbitals. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following beryllium compounds undergo hybridization to form sp orbitals?

BeF2, BeH2, and BeCl2 (C) Signup and view all the answers

What promotes one of the electrons in the beryllium atom during hybridization?

It is promoted to the empty px orbital. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of hybridization is specifically referred to in this context?

sp hybridization (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main feature that differentiates a sigma bond from a pi bond?

Sigma bonds involve end to end overlapping of half filled atomic orbitals. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true regarding the rotation of bonds?

Pi bonds do not allow for free rotation. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What contributes to the strength difference between sigma and pi bonds?

The extent of overlapping between atomic orbitals. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which bond can exist independently without the presence of another bond?

Sigma bond (C) Signup and view all the answers

How is boron trifluoride (BF3) predicted to form bonds?

By promoting paired 2s electrons to empty p orbitals. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What type of molecular orbital is formed from the overlapping of p orbitals in a pi bond?

Two lobes positioned above and below the internuclear axis. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of a paired electron in the formation of bonds?

It can be promoted to higher energy orbitals for bonding. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of bond formation is reflected in the greater strength of sigma bonds compared to pi bonds?

Greater overlap between atomic orbitals. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Hybrid Orbitals

Hybrid orbitals are formed by mixing atomic orbitals.
The mixing creates new orbitals with properties intermediate between the original unhybridized orbitals.
The number of hybrid orbitals produced equals the number of unhybridized orbitals.
The hybridized orbitals exhibit equivalent energy and shape.
The number of orbitals that undergo hybridization results in the same number of new hybrid orbitals.
Hybridized orbitals orient themselves in preferred directions in space, thus influencing molecular shapes.
Only valence shell orbitals of an atom are hybridized.
The energy difference between the orbitals undergoing hybridization should be minimal.
Not only half-filled orbitals, but also filled orbitals, can take part in hybridization.
Promotion of electrons to higher orbitals is not crucial for hybridization to occur.
Before hybridizing, determine whether the ground state electronic configuration applies.
Electrons are promoted from one orbital to a higher orbital for hybridization, based on the hybridization type.
Combining orbitals results in more stable hybrid orbitals.
The number of orbitals mixed equals the number produced afterward.
The hybrid orbitals formed afterward share similar shapes and sizes.

Types of Hybridization

sp Hybridization

One 's' orbital and one 'p' orbital combine to create two equivalent 'sp' hybrid orbitals.
The angle between the 'sp' orbitals is 180°.
Examples of molecules with sp hybridization include BeF₂, BeH₂ and BeCl₂.
The beryllium atom contains only paired electrons and thus must undergo hybridization.
One of the 2s electrons is promoted to an empty 2px orbital.
Only occupied orbitals participate in the hybridization process, producing two sp hybrid orbitals.
The two remaining p-orbitals (namely 2py and 2pz) remain unhybridized.
The resulting sp orbitals are similar in shape to the original p orbitals but differ significantly.
Other molecules incorporating sp hybridization that require the use of sp hybrid orbitals include CO₂ and C₂H₂.
The sp orbitals in these molecules also appear similar to the original p orbital shape but have a significant difference.

sp² Hybridization

One 's' orbital and two 'p' orbitals combine to generate three equivalent 'sp²' hybrid orbitals.
The angle between the 'sp²' orbitals is 120°.
All three 'sp²' hybrid orbitals lie in one plane.
Examples include BCℓ₃, BеCl₂, and compounds like these.
The first step involves promoting a paired 2s electron to an empty 2p orbital.
The hybridization of the three occupied orbitals produces three 'sp²' hybrids, leaving the 2pz orbital untouched.
The molecular shape is trigonal planar.
Each sp² hybrid orbital forms a bond with a p orbital.
The lobes of the sp² hybrid orbitals point towards the corners of an equilateral triangle.
Ethylene(C₂H₄) also shows sp² hybridization: the carbon atoms use sp² hybrid orbitals to bond with each other and hydrogen atoms.

sp³ Hybridization

One 's' orbital and three 'p' orbitals combine to create four equivalent 'sp³' hybrid orbitals.
The angle between the 'sp³' orbitals is 109.5°.
The four 'sp³' hybrid orbitals are oriented towards the corners of a tetrahedron.
Methane (CH₄), Ammonia (NH₃), and Water (H₂O) are molecules with sp³ hybridization.
In methane, each carbon sp³ hybrid orbital bonds with a hydrogen 1s orbital.
The hybridization process in Ammonia involves the promotion of a paired 2s electron in the nitrogen atom to an empty 2p orbital.
Forming sp³ hybrid orbitals leaves one unhybridized p orbital.

Sigma (σ) and Pi (π) Bonds

Covalent bonds can be sigma or pi bonds, dependent on overlap type.
Sigma bonds result from head-on overlap of atomic orbitals along an internuclear axis.
Pi bonds arise from side-to-side overlap of atomic orbitals perpendicular to the internuclear axis.
Sigma bonds are stronger than pi bonds due to greater overlap.
Pi bonds can only exist alongside a sigma bond. Multiple bonds (double or triple) involve sigma and pi bonds.
The presence, type, and strength of bonds influence chemical reaction patterns.

VSEPR Theory

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory (VSEPR) explains molecular shapes.
Electron pairs surrounding the central atom arrange as far apart as possible, minimizing repulsion.
Lone pairs repel more strongly than bonding pairs.
The order of repulsions: lone pair-lone pair > lone pair-bonding pair > bonding pair-bonding pair.
Multiple bonds are treated as single electron pairs for VSEPR purposes.
VSEPR helps determine molecular shapes, influencing properties like polarity.

Molecular Shapes

Molecular shapes depend on specific atom arrangements and bond angles (predictable through VSEPR).
Understanding molecular shapes helps study polarity, symmetry, and hence physical/chemical properties of compounds.
The VSEPR theory helps visualize these 3-dimensional molecular structures.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of hybrid orbitals, formed by the mixing of atomic orbitals. It examines the properties, orientation, and implications of hybridization in determining molecular shapes. Test your understanding of how valence shell orbitals contribute to hybridization and the energy considerations involved.