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CHEM 121 Studioby Learn4Less · UBC CHEM 121

CHEM 121 glossary

sp hybrid orbital

One of two hybrid orbitals made by mixing one s and one p orbital. The two point in opposite directions (180°, linear), and two p orbitals are left unhybridized for π bonding; an atom with steric number 2, or in two π bonds, is spsp.

sp hybrid orbitals2 sp hybrid orbitals point away from each other in a linear arrangement, 180° apart. two unhybridized p orbitals remain (for π bonds).180°two sp orbitals · lineartwo unhybridized p orbitals remain (for π bonds)

Example

In BeClX2\ce{BeCl2} each Be spsp hybrid overlaps a Cl orbital, giving linear Cl–Be–Cl (180°) with two empty 2p2p orbitals on Be. In acetonitrile, CHX3−C≡N\ce{CH3-C#N}, both the nitrile C and the N are spsp.

See alsoHybridizationLinearπ bond (pi bond)sp² hybrid orbital