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Experimental evidence suggests that the nitrogen atom in ammonia, NH3, has four orbitals in the shape of a pyramid or tetrahedron.
I was wondering if someone could confirm this for me. Would it look like this?
I use slashes to represent an electron.
Nitrogen
1s X
2s X
2p / / /
Hydrogen (x3)
1s /
1s /
1s /
Whereby when combined looks like this...
NH3
1s X
2s X
2p XXX
Is this correct? Does this illustration suggest that Nitrogen has four orbitals? or am i missing some sort of hybridization? If hybridization occurs is the new hybrid bond called s3p3 ( three S orbitals combine with 3 P orbitals)?
Thanks!
I was wondering if someone could confirm this for me. Would it look like this?
I use slashes to represent an electron.
Nitrogen
1s X
2s X
2p / / /
Hydrogen (x3)
1s /
1s /
1s /
Whereby when combined looks like this...
NH3
1s X
2s X
2p XXX
Is this correct? Does this illustration suggest that Nitrogen has four orbitals? or am i missing some sort of hybridization? If hybridization occurs is the new hybrid bond called s3p3 ( three S orbitals combine with 3 P orbitals)?
Thanks!

