Question

The hybridization of carbon ${{C}_{3}}{{O}_{2}}$ is:
(A) $sp$
(B) $s{{p}^{3}}$
(C) $s{{p}^{2}}$
(D) $s{{p}^{3}}d$

Answer 1

Hint: The process of intermixing or atomic orbitals from the same atom forms an entirely new orbital of the same energy is known as hybridization. If carbon has four sigma bonds and no pi bonds, then the hybridization of carbon is $s{{p}^{3}}$. If the carbon has three sigma bonds and one pi bond, then the hybridization of carbon is $s{{p}^{2}}$. If the carbon has two sigma bonds and two pi bonds, then the hybridization of carbon is sp.

Complete step by step solution:
-Carbon suboxide, also known as tricarbon dioxide is carbon with chemical formula ${{C}_{3}}{{O}_{2}}$ in which its four cumulative double bonds make it a cumulene.
-In the series of linear oxocarbons $O={{C}_{n}}=O$, carbon suboxide is one of the stable members which includes carbon dioxide and pentacarbon dioxide.
-Under careful purification and standard room temperature, tricarbon dioxide can exist in the dark without decomposing.
-The structure of this molecule is still a subject of experiments and computations, with some studies suggesting it to be a linear molecule, and some suggesting it to be a bent shaped molecule.
-The structure of carbon suboxide is $O=C=C=C=O$.
Here every carbon has a double bond. Each double bond has one sigma and one pi-bond.
So each carbon atom will have two sigma and two bonds simultaneously.
-Since every carbon bond in tricarbon dioxide has two sigma and two bonds, hence the hybridization of carbon will be sp.

So the correct option is A.

Note: Another way of finding the hybridization of carbon suboxide is by calculating the steric number. The steric number defines the number of sigma bonded atoms attached to central atoms plus the number of lone pairs of electrons on the central atom. For calculating the hybridization of carbon suboxide, it has 2 sigma bonded atoms that it oxygens and no lone pair. Hence the steric number for it is 2, so the hybridization is sp.