Which orbitals hybridize in carbon to give sp, sp2, sp3?

Carbon typically hybridizes its two s and two p orbitals to form sp, sp two, or sp three hybrid orbitals depending on whether it forms two, three, or four sigma bonds respectively.

Think of the atom like a set of toy blocks that can be rearranged to make different shapes for bonding, where the two s and the two p blocks mix to make new hybrid blocks called sp, sp two, or sp three; sp three means one s and three p blocks mixed together to make four equivalent shapes for single bonds, sp two means one s and two p mixed to make three shapes arranged in a flat triangle for double bonds, and sp means one s and one p mixed to make two shapes opposite each other for triple bonds. The mixing changes the shape and angles between bonds so sp three gives roughly one hundred eight degrees, sp two gives about one hundred twenty degrees, and sp gives about one hundred eighty degrees. You can tell which hybridization by counting how many groups of electrons are bonded or lone around the carbon: four groups means sp three, three groups means sp two, and two groups means sp.

A common mistake is counting electrons instead of groups, which can make you pick the wrong hybridization, so count bonded atoms and lone pairs as groups instead; another is assuming double bonds always mean sp two without checking resonance or adjacent atoms, so look at the actual connectivity and lone pairs; students also sometimes forget that lone pairs take up a group just like a bond, so include them when deciding sp, sp two, or sp three.

For more videos and resources on how carbon hybridizes and how to recognize sp, sp two, and sp three, check out w w w dot gumball degree dot com.

Carbon Orbital Hybridization: sp, sp2, sp3

1. Count groups of electrons around carbon
2. sp3 = mix of 1s and 3p
3. sp2 = mix of 1s and 2p
4. sp = mix of 1s and 1p
5. sp3 gives ~108° bond angles
6. sp2 gives ~120° bond angles
7. sp gives ~180° bond angles

Common Carbon Hybridization Mistakes

1. Counting electrons instead of groups
2. Assuming double bonds always mean sp2
3. Forgetting lone pairs count as groups

carbonhybridization, sp3, sp2, sp, organicchemistry, chemicalbonding, molecularorbitals, chemistrytutorial, bondangles, hybridorbitals