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Homework answers / question archive / There are either zero or 15 hybrid orbitals present in the PCl? molecule

There are either zero or 15 hybrid orbitals present in the PCl? molecule

Chemistry

There are either zero or 15 hybrid orbitals present in the PCl? molecule.

A better question would be, "How many hybrid orbitals does a P atom use when it forms a molecule of PCl??

theory predicts that PCl? should have a trigonal bipyramidal structure. This corresponds to an sp³d hybridization.

The P atom has five hybridized orbitals.

Once the PCl? molecule has formed, the P atom no longer has these hybrid atomic orbitals. They have overlapped with orbitals of Cl atoms to form σ molecular orbitals. You usually see the picture below, in which an sp³d orbital overlaps with an unhybridized p orbital of Cl to form a σ molecular orbital.

In this model, the PCl? molecule has no hybridized orbitals.

I suggest that this model is incorrect. If you apply VSEPR theory to one atom in a molecule, you must apply it to the other atoms as well.

Each Cl atom has four electron domains surrounding it. VSEPR theory says they will arrange themselves in a tetrahedral geometry. This corresponds to an sp³ hybridization.

Each Cl uses an sp³ orbital to bond to the P. The remaining three orbitals contain the lone pairs of Cl.

The five Cl atoms then have fifteen hybridized orbitals.

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