What is the hybridization state of the carbon atoms in ethyne (acetylene, H-C#C-H)?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. sp hybridization
- Step 1: Each carbon in ethyne forms one sigma bond to hydrogen and one sigma bond to the adjacent carbon, with two pi bonds.
- Step 2: With two sigma bonding domains and zero lone pairs, the steric number is 2.
- Step 3: Steric number 2 corresponds to sp hybridization with a linear 180-degree geometry.
Answer
sp hybridization.
Why not the others: 'sp2 hybridization' occurs in planar alkenes with three electron domains (120 degrees); 'sp3 hybridization' occurs in tetrahedral alkanes with four electron domains (109.5 degrees); 'sp3d hybridization' occurs in expanded octet systems such as PCl5.
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