Q.Ethyne (acetylene), , 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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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Each carbon atom in ethyne needs only two sigma-bonding directions — one to the other carbon and one to a hydrogen — arranged linearly () to match the molecule's observed linear shape. This requires hybridisation: one and one orbital on each carbon mix to give two collinear hybrid orbitals. One hybrid orbital on each carbon overlaps head-on with the other carbon's hybrid orbital, forming the sigma bond; the other hybrid orbital on each carbon overlaps with a hydrogen orbital, forming a sigma bond. That leaves each carbon with two unhybridised orbitals (perpendicular to each other and to the molecular axis), each of which overlaps sideways with the corresponding orbital on the other carbon, generating two mutually pe …
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