Drawing Orbital overlap diagram for ammonia

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 9K views
Evangeline101
Messages
112
Reaction score
5

Homework Statement


upload_2016-10-4_4-38-52.png


Homework Equations


none
This is how I was taught to draw orbital overlap diagrams in my lesson:

upload_2016-10-4_4-38-17.png


The Attempt at a Solution


[/B]
I have drawn four attempts for a possible orbital overlap diagram of NH3:

Attempt # 1:
upload_2016-10-4_5-10-8.png

For this one, are the atoms arranged correctly? should it be two hydrogen at the bottom and one at the top?

Attempt # 2:

upload_2016-10-4_5-15-6.png

For this one, it doesn't really follow the example taught in the lesson, but does it make sense to do it like this?

Attempt # 3:

upload_2016-10-4_5-20-30.png

should I be hybridizing it...? Attempt # 4:
upload_2016-10-4_5-23-0.png


Can someone please tell me which and if any of these diagrams are correct?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks :)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
These "Orbital Overlap Diagrams" are very cartoonish representations, so it is hard to say which is wrong or right. I like attempt #2, as it is neater. In the example of water, no hybridization is used for the oxygen, therefore I would guess that it is not necessary to use hybridization for N.