Hybridization, Orbital Overlap, and Bond Length | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The length of a single bond is determined by the amount of s character in the hybrid orbitals forming the bond.

Key Insights

• 🫀 Single bond length is determined by the hybridization of the atoms involved.
• 💪 Triple bonds have more s character and are shorter and stronger than single bonds.
• 🤨 Comparing atoms in the same row helps determine bond length based on s character.
• 😀 Increasing s character decreases bond length.
• 😝 Hybridization of sp, sp2, and sp3 orbitals determines the length of single bonds.
• #️⃣ Bond number five is the longest, followed by bond number one and bond number four.
• #️⃣ Bond number two is shorter than bond number four.

Transcript

number 20. rank the indicated Bonds in order of decreasing Bond length so all of the bonds that we're looking at are single bonds Which single bond is going to be the longest is it number one number two three four or five how can we compare one single bond with another single Bond well let's go back to our example with ethane and acetylene which is... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is a triple bond shorter than a single bond?

A triple bond is shorter because it has more s character in the hybrid orbitals, which leads to a stronger bond.

Q: How does hybridization affect bond length?

Hybridization determines the type of orbitals overlapping to form the bond. The more s character in the hybrid orbital, the shorter the bond length.

Q: How does comparing atoms in the same row help determine bond length?

Comparing atoms in the same row allows us to focus on the s character of the hybrid orbitals, which determines the bond length.

Q: Why does increasing s character decrease bond length?

S orbitals are closer to the nucleus than p orbitals, so increasing s character brings the bonding electron closer to the nucleus, resulting in a shorter bond.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Single bonds can vary in length based on the hybridization of the atoms involved.

• Triple bonds are shorter than single bonds due to more s character in the hybrid orbitals.

• The more s character in a bond, the shorter the bond length and the stronger the bond.