Photo AI
Which molecule contains a nitrogen atom with sp hybridised orbitals? A CH₃CH₂NH₂ B HNO₃ C HCN D NH₃ - CIE - A-Level Chemistry - Question 4 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 4
Which molecule contains a nitrogen atom with sp hybridised orbitals? A CH₃CH₂NH₂ B HNO₃ C HCN D NH₃
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Which molecule contains a nitrogen atom with sp hybridised orbitals? A CH₃CH₂NH₂ B HNO₃ C HCN D NH₃ - CIE - A-Level Chemistry - Question 4 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Identify the hybridization states of nitrogen in each option
Answer
To determine which molecule has a nitrogen atom with sp hybridization, we consider the following:
-
CH₃CH₂NH₂: The nitrogen atom in this molecule is bonded to two hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom. This results in a total of four regions of electron density, indicating sp³ hybridization.
-
HNO₃: In nitric acid, nitrogen is connected to three oxygen atoms (one double bond and two single bonds), leading to five regions of electron density. This corresponds to sp² hybridization.
-
HCN: The nitrogen atom in hydrogen cyanide is triple bonded to carbon and single bonded to hydrogen. With only two regions of electron density, this signifies sp hybridization.
-
NH₃: The nitrogen atom here is bonded to three hydrogen atoms and has one lone pair, giving it a total of four regions of electron density, which indicates sp³ hybridization.
From this analysis, only HCN shows nitrogen with sp hybrid orbitals.
Step 2