Ch.9 - Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories

Brown - Chemistry: The Central Science 14th Edition

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Brown 14th Edition

Ch.9 - Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories

Problem 50c

Chapter 9, Problem 50c

Consider the SCl2 molecule. (c) What hybrid orbitals should be constructed on the S atom to make the S-Cl bonds in SCl2?

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Step 1: Determine the electron configuration of the S atom. Sulfur (S) is in the 3rd period of the periodic table, and its electron configuration ends in 3p^4.

Step 2: Determine the number of electron domains around the S atom. In SCl2, S is bonded to two Cl atoms and also has two lone pairs of electrons. Therefore, it has four electron domains.

Step 3: Determine the hybridization of the S atom. The number of electron domains corresponds to the type of hybridization. Four electron domains indicate sp3 hybridization.

Step 4: Understand the role of hybrid orbitals. Hybrid orbitals are used to form sigma bonds and to accommodate lone pairs of electrons. In SCl2, the S atom uses its sp3 hybrid orbitals to form two sigma bonds with the Cl atoms and to accommodate the two lone pairs of electrons.

Step 5: Conclude that the S atom in SCl2 should construct sp3 hybrid orbitals to make the S-Cl bonds.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Hybridization

Hybridization is the process of combining atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals that can accommodate the bonding requirements of a molecule. In the case of SCl2, the sulfur atom undergoes hybridization to create orbitals that can effectively overlap with the chlorine atoms, facilitating bond formation.

Molecular Geometry

Molecular geometry refers to the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule. For SCl2, the molecular geometry is bent due to the presence of lone pairs on the sulfur atom, which influences the spatial orientation of the S-Cl bonds and results in a bond angle of approximately 104.5 degrees.

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) Theory

VSEPR theory is a model used to predict the geometry of individual molecules based on the repulsion between electron pairs in the valence shell of the central atom. In SCl2, the repulsion between the lone pairs and bonding pairs of electrons around sulfur determines the bent shape of the molecule.

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Consider the molecule BF₃. (a) What is the electron configuration of an isolated B atom? (b) What is the electron configuration of an isolated F atom?