Orbital hybridization is the process of mixing atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals that have different shapes and energies than the original orbitals. This affects the shape of a molecule because the hybrid orbitals will determine the arrangement of atoms and bonding angles, ultimately determining the overall shape of the molecule.
Sp, sp2, and sp3 are different types of hybridization that occur when atomic orbitals mix. In sp hybridization, one s orbital and one p orbital combine to form two sp hybrid orbitals. In sp2 hybridization, one s orbital and two p orbitals combine to form three sp2 hybrid orbitals. In sp3 hybridization, one s orbital and three p orbitals combine to form four sp3 hybrid orbitals. The number of hybrid orbitals formed depends on the number of atomic orbitals that are mixed.
Lone electrons refer to the unpaired electrons in an atom that are not involved in bonding. These electrons can affect the hybridization of a molecule by influencing the shape and orientation of the hybrid orbitals. For example, lone pairs of electrons can cause a deviation from the ideal bond angle in a molecule, leading to a distorted shape.
Yes, lone electrons can participate in bonding. For example, in molecules with double or triple bonds, one of the bonded atoms may have a lone pair of electrons that is involved in bonding with another atom. This is known as a coordinate covalent bond, where the shared pair of electrons comes from only one atom.
Orbital hybridization explains the bonding in molecules with multiple bonds by showing how the atomic orbitals of different atoms mix to form hybrid orbitals that allow for the formation of double or triple bonds. For example, in molecules with a double bond, one sp2 hybrid orbital from each atom overlaps to form a sigma bond, while the remaining p orbitals overlap to form a pi bond. In molecules with a triple bond, one sp hybrid orbital and two p orbitals from each atom overlap to form a sigma bond, while the remaining p orbitals overlap to form two pi bonds.