Hybridization

One of the things that we learned this short unit was hybridization in correlation to chemical bonding.

The name is a lot scarier than the actual process, I promise you.

All you need to do is count the number of electron domains, or places where potential bonds can occur on the atom, and put that number in the basic electron configuration model (spdf).

If you remember, S has 1 orbital, p 3, d 5, and f 7.

So if a bond has 5 electron domains on the structure, it has a hybridization of sp3d.

If a bond has 7 electron domains it would be sp3d3.

As this picture demonstrates, the hybridization corresponds with the electron pair geometry of a bond, due to both being determined by the number of electron domains.

Here are some links if you want more info:

https://chemistry.boisestate.edu/richardbanks/inorganic/bonding%20and%20hybridization/bonding_hybridization.htm

http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Core/Theoretical_Chemistry/Chemical_Bonding/Valence_Bond_Theory/Hybridization

http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/chemistry/carey5e/Ch02/ch2-3.html

Also, here's a chem pun because it's funny. Ha. Ha.