What is the hybridization of the carbon atom in ethylene (C2H4)?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the hybridization of the carbon atom in ethylene (C2H4)?
sp
sp2
sp3
sp3d
In ethylene, each carbon atom is sp2 hybridized, forming a double bond with the other carbon.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: What is the hybridization of the carbon atom in ethylene (C2H4)?
Solution: In ethylene, each carbon atom is sp2 hybridized, forming a double bond with the other carbon.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Identify the structure of ethylene (C2H4). It consists of two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms.
Step 2: Determine the number of bonds each carbon atom forms. In ethylene, each carbon forms two single bonds with hydrogen and one double bond with the other carbon.
Step 3: Count the regions of electron density around each carbon atom. Each carbon has three regions of electron density (two from the C-H bonds and one from the C=C double bond).
Step 4: Identify the hybridization based on the number of regions of electron density. Three regions correspond to sp2 hybridization.
Step 5: Conclude that each carbon atom in ethylene is sp2 hybridized.
