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Exercise · Q16

Q.Ethyne (acetylene), C2H2\text{C}_2\text{H}_2, is a linear molecule with a carbon–carbon triple bond. Identify the hybridisation state of each carbon atom and describe the sigma and pi bonds present.

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Each carbon atom in ethyne needs only two sigma-bonding directions — one to the other carbon and one to a hydrogen — arranged linearly (180∘180^{\circ}) to match the molecule's observed linear shape. This requires spsp hybridisation: one ss and one pp orbital on each carbon mix to give two collinear spsp hybrid orbitals. One spsp hybrid orbital on each carbon overlaps head-on with the other carbon's spsp hybrid orbital, forming the C−C\text{C}-\text{C} sigma bond; the other spsp hybrid orbital on each carbon overlaps with a hydrogen 1s1s orbital, forming a C−H\text{C}-\text{H} sigma bond. That leaves each carbon with two unhybridised pp orbitals (perpendicular to each other and to the molecular axis), each of which overlaps sideways with the corresponding pp orbital on the other carbon, generating two mutually pe …

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