Question

In the formation of methane, carbon undergoes sp³ hybridisation. 

1. What do you mean by sp³ hybridisation? 

2. Give the % s-character and pcharacter of an sp³ hybrid orbital. 

3. What is the bond angle in methane? 

4. What is the geometry of methane molecule?

Answer 1

1. sp³ hybridisation involves mixing up of one – s and three-p orbitals of the valence shell of an atom to form four sp³ hybrid orbitals of equivalent energies and shape. 

2. Each sp³ hybrid orbital has 25% scharacter and 75% p-character. 

3. The angle between the sp³ hybrid orbitals in methane is 109°28′. 

4. Tetrahedron.