Explain what is meant by #sp^3# hybridization?
1 Answer
Explanation:
The electronic configuration of a carbon atom is
There are two lone electrons here, meaning that carbon should only actually be able to form two bonds.
However, a little bit of energy can be added which promotes an electron from the
The problem now is that the electrons are in different subshells. The bonds in methane are symmetrical, and you don't get the same bonds if you have different subshells, so the orbitals hybridise.
Rather than being in
These orbitals can then react with four hydrogen atoms to form methane. The sigma bonded orbitals are the same shape but have a hydrogen nucleus (a proton) in their lobe. The reaction looks like this