What is the hybridization of carbon in C2H6?

Each carbon atom in ethane is sp three hybridized.

Think of each carbon like a person who wants four arms all evenly spaced to hold onto friends; to do that it mixes one s orbital and three p orbitals to make four equal sp three orbitals, and each of those holds a bond. In ethane there are two carbon atoms and each one uses its four sp three orbitals to bond to three hydrogens and to the other carbon, making single bonds all around. The bond between the two carbons is formed by an overlap of one sp three orbital from each carbon, and the remaining three sp three orbitals on each carbon overlap with the one s orbital of each hydrogen. Because all bonds are formed from sp three orbitals, the geometry around each carbon is roughly tetrahedral, with bond angles close to one hundred and nine degrees and twenty six minutes.

A common mistake is saying the carbon is sp two or sp hybridized because students see single bonds and think fewer orbitals are mixed, and the quick fix is to count the electron groups around the carbon and remember that four groups mean sp three. Another misconception is thinking the carbon uses pure p orbitals for some bonds, instead of realizing the orbitals are hybridized to make identical bonding directions, and the simple tip is to visualize the four equal arms of a tetrahedral shape. Some learners also confuse the carbon carbon single bond as a pi bond, so remember that a pi bond only appears with double or triple bonds, not in ethane.

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sp3 Hybridization of Carbon in Ethane

1. Mix s and p orbitals
2. Form four equal sp3 orbitals
3. Use one orbital to bond C–C
4. Use three orbitals to bond H
5. Tetrahedral geometry around carbon
6. Bond angles ~109.26 degrees

Common Mistakes About Carbon Hybridization

1. Mistaking sp3 for sp2 or sp
2. Thinking carbon uses pure p orbitals
3. Confusing C–C single with pi bond

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