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HeartSoul132
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The on on the left w/ the red arrow pointing to it:
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/5062/92513846.jpg
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/5062/92513846.jpg
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A sp orbital is a hybrid orbital formed by the combination of one s orbital and one p orbital. It has a linear shape and is used to describe the bonding in molecules with a triple bond or two double bonds.
A sp orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons.
An sp orbital has 50% s character and 50% p character, while an sp2 orbital has 33% s character and 67% p character. This means that an sp orbital is more s-like in shape and an sp2 orbital is more p-like.
The energy of an sp orbital is intermediate between that of an s orbital and a p orbital. It is closer in energy to the p orbital, but slightly higher due to the influence of the s orbital.
The hybridization of carbon affects its reactivity by changing the shape and energy of its orbitals, which in turn influences the types of bonds it can form and the stability of those bonds. For example, sp hybridized carbon is more reactive than sp3 hybridized carbon due to its linear shape and higher energy orbitals.