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Ch.11 - Chemical Bonding II: Molecular Shapes, VSEPR & MO Theory
Tro - Chemistry: A Molecular Approach 5th Edition
Tro5th EditionChemistry: A Molecular ApproachISBN: 9780134874371Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTro 5th EditionCh.11 - Chemical Bonding II: Molecular Shapes, VSEPR & MO TheoryProblem 53a
Chapter 11, Problem 53a

The valence electron configurations of several atoms are shown here. How many bonds can each atom make without hybridization? a. Be 2s2

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Identify the valence electron configuration of the atom. For Be, the valence electron configuration is 2s^2.
Determine the number of unpaired electrons in the valence shell. In the case of Be, both electrons in the 2s orbital are paired.
Recall that an atom can form bonds equal to the number of unpaired electrons it has in its valence shell.
Since Be has no unpaired electrons in its valence shell, it cannot form any bonds without hybridization.
Conclude that Be, in its ground state without hybridization, cannot form any bonds due to the lack of unpaired electrons.

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Key Concepts

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

Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and are crucial in determining how an atom can bond with others. The number of valence electrons influences the atom's ability to form bonds, as these electrons are involved in chemical reactions and bond formation.
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Bonding Capacity

Bonding capacity refers to the maximum number of bonds an atom can form based on its valence electron configuration. For example, an atom with two valence electrons, like beryllium (Be), typically forms two bonds by sharing its valence electrons with other atoms.
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Hybridization

Hybridization is the process of mixing atomic orbitals to create new hybrid orbitals for bonding. In the context of the question, the term 'without hybridization' indicates that we are considering the bonding capacity based solely on the original atomic orbitals, without any alterations that hybridization would introduce.
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