Question

s-character in sp hybridized orbitals are
A.\[\dfrac{1}{3}\]
B.\[\dfrac{1}{2}\]
C.\[\dfrac{1}{4}\]
D.\[\dfrac{2}{3}\]

Answer 1

Hint: The sp hybrid orbitals of an element like carbon occur in compounds like ethyne that comprise a triple bond.
The overlapping of these orbitals with each other or with another orbital like an s orbital of hydrogen gives a sigma bond.

Complete step by step solution:Hybridization is the combining of two atomic orbitals to form a new type of hybridized orbitals.
These hybrid orbitals have completely distinct energies, shapes, etc.
The atomic orbitals of the same energy level primarily carry out hybridization.
Both fully-filled and half-filled orbitals may participate in this process but they must have equal energy.
Pairs of electrons in the valence shell all are negatively charged and therefore, repulsed by one another.
These pairs of electrons attempt to lessen the repulsion and therefore stay far away from each other.
If we presume the valence shell is a sphere then the electron pairs lie on the outside of the sphere at the maximum space from one another.
The sp hybrid orbitals thus are at\[180^\circ \] to one another.
They hold\[50\% \] s-character as they are constructed from one 2s orbital and one 2p orbital.
So, the s-character in sp hybridized orbitals is \[\dfrac{1}{2}\].

So, option B is correct.

Note: If there are two sp hybrid orbitals around a carbon atom, two remaining p orbitals are also present that build two pi-bonds with an adjacent atom.
For example, a carbon atom in ethyne or a nitrogen atom in cyano compounds.