Question

Why hydrogen atom has p orbital even though it has only one electron that supposed to be in s orbital? This is related to formation of sp3 hybridisation of methane. If it does have, why hydrogen p orbital are of the same energy level as s orbital?

Answer 1

In the context of atomic orbitals and the hydrogen atom, it is important to clarify a few key points:

1. The hydrogen atom has only one electron, and according to the Schrödinger equation, it has discrete energy levels. The lowest energy level is the 1s orbital.

2. The s orbital (1s orbital in this case) is spherically symmetric and is the orbital where the hydrogen electron is most likely to be found.

3. Hydrogen does not have p orbitals in its isolated state. The p orbitals (px, py, and pz) are associated with higher energy levels and are typically observed in atoms with more than one electron.

However, when it comes to molecules, such as methane (CH4), the concept of hybridization comes into play. In methane, the carbon atom undergoes hybridization to form four sp3 hybrid orbitals. Each of these hybrid orbitals is a combination of one s orbital and three p orbitals, resulting in four equivalent sp3 hybrid orbitals oriented in a tetrahedral arrangement around the carbon atom.

The hydrogen atoms in methane then form sigma bonds with the carbon atom using their 1s orbitals, overlapping with the sp3 hybrid orbitals of carbon. The resulting molecule has a tetrahedral shape with four equivalent carbon-hydrogen sigma bonds.

It is important to note that in the context of hybridization, the energy levels of the orbitals are rearranged. The hybrid orbitals (sp3 in this case) are all equivalent in energy and have the same energy level. This reorganization of energy levels allows for the formation of new molecular orbitals and the bonding in molecules like methane.