Skill 6.1a-Explain the bonding characteristics of carbon

Domain 6, Competency 6.1 Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Skill 6.1a-Explain the bonding characteristics of carbon 

Carbon is able to form sp, sp2, and sp3 hybridized atomic orbitals and a and n molecular orbitals (see Skill 1.3c). For example, in CH4, the electron density of the four sp3 orbitals of C each overlap with an s orbital of H to form four a bonds. In C2H4 (an alkene), two sp2 orbitals on each C overlap with H, the remaining sp2 orbitals overlap with each other in a crbond, and the p orbitals (drawn as shaded shapes) overlap with each other above and beneath the carbons in a n bond (also drawn as shaded shapes). In CO2, the C atom has two sp hybrid orbitals and two p orbitals. These form one crbond and one n bond with the two unfilled p orbitals on each 0 atom. In C2H2 (an alkyne), a triple bond forms with one crand two n. 

Molecules with double bonds next to each other and aromatic molecules based on benzene (see Skill 6.1c) contain more than two n orbitals on adjacent atoms. The 

Each carbon atom in benzene bonds to three atoms, so their electrons are in three sp2 orbitals and one p orbital as we ve seen for C2H4. The p orbitals are shown as the shaded shapes below on the left (only the C-C bonds are shown). The p atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals with delocalized electrons as shown in the bonding n molecular orbital below to the right. 

Aromatic molecules are often drawn with a circle in the center of their benzene rings (shown to the left) to show delocalized n electrons. The atoms of a benzene molecule are all located in the same plane. This is in contrast to molecules that 

---