Kaplan Book: Ochem Chpter 3 Problem #5

[polarmolar]

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Can someone explain this to me: Why is BeH2 sp hybridized?

 

[TeamGuo]

Be is in the group II, makes two bonds, so if you have Be as the central atomand 2 H bonded to it, = sp hybridization.

East way to figure out hybridization is to count bonds and lone pairs,

Ie. H2O = has 2 bonds and 2 LP = which makes it sp3 hybridized.

 

[polarmolar]

So just because something is sp hybr. doesn't mean it has a triple bond, just that is has the potential for it?

 

[topdent1]

So just because something is sp hybr. doesn't mean it has a triple bond, just that is has the potential for it?

It's very simple. You just need to count the number of bonds and lone pairs. However, make sure you count double bond and triple bonds as 1. For example...

Each carbon in ethene (CH2-CH2) would be sp2 hybridized.

S, P1, P2, P3. Count in that order.