Let’s connect hybridization with molecular orbitals (MOs):
Hybridization vs Molecular Orbitals
- Hybridization is a Valence Bond Theory (VBT) concept
- In hybridization, atomic orbitals on the same atom (like s, p, or d) mix to form hybrid orbitals (sp, sp², sp³, etc.).
- These hybrid orbitals then overlap with orbitals of other atoms to form localized bonds (like in methane, CH₄).
- Molecular Orbital Theory (MOT)
- MOT treats electrons as delocalized over the whole molecule, not confined to a bond between two atoms.
- Atomic orbitals from different atoms combine to form molecular orbitals (bonding, antibonding, or non-bonding).
How They Relate
- Both use linear combinations of atomic orbitals
- Hybrid orbitals (sp, sp², sp³) are combinations of orbitals within the same atom.
- Molecular orbitals (σ, π) are combinations of orbitals from different atoms.
- Consistency in Bonding Picture
- Hybridization explains bond angles and geometry (localized model).
- MOT explains bond order, magnetism, and delocalization (delocalized model).
- Example: In ethene (C₂H₄)
- Each carbon uses sp² hybridization (VBT) to form σ-bonds.
- The leftover unhybridized p orbitals overlap sideways to form a π molecular orbital (MOT).
- Hybridization provides orbitals that enter MO formation
- The hybrid orbitals of one atom overlap with the atomic/hybrid orbitals of another atom → forming MOs.
In short:
Hybridization (VBT) prepares the orbitals on each atom for bonding, while Molecular Orbital Theory shows how those orbitals actually combine across the molecule. They are two complementary views of the same bonding process.