What is the hybridization in "CO"_2CO2?

1 Answer
Ernest Z. · mason m
Jul 2, 2014

The carbon atom has spsp hybridization; the "O"O atoms have sp^2sp2 hybridization.

Explanation:

You must first draw the Lewis structure for "CO"_2CO2.

CO2

According to VSEPR theory, we can use the steric number ("SN")(SN) to determine the hybridization of an atom.

"SN"SN = number of lone pairs + number of atoms directly attached to the atom.

  • "SN = 2"SN = 2 corresponds to spsp hybridization.
  • "SN"= 3"SN=3 corresponds to sp^2sp2 hybridization.

We see that the "C"C atom has "SN = 2"SN = 2. It has no lone pairs, but it is attached to two other atoms.

It has spsphybridization.

Each "O"O atom has "SN = 3"SN = 3. It has 2 lone pairs and is attached to 1 "C"C atom.

Just as the carbon atom hybridized to form the best bonds, so do the oxygen atoms.

The valence electron configuration of "O"O is ["He"] 2s^2 2p^4[He]2s22p4.

To accommodate the two lone pairs and the bonding pair, it will also form three equivalent sp^2sp2 hybrid orbitals.

www.chemguide.co.uk

Two of the sp^2sp2 orbitals contain lone pairs, while the remaining sp^2sp2 orbital and the unhybridized pp orbital have one electron each.

We can see this arrangement in the "C=O"C=O bond of formaldehyde, which is equivalent to the right-hand side of the "O=C=O"O=C=O molecule.

H₂C=O
(from www.slideshare.net)

There is a similar arrangement on the left side of the "O=C=O"O=C=O molecule, but the piπ bond is horizontal rather than vertical.

![butane.chem.uiuc.edu)

Here is a video about the hybridization of carbon dioxide.

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