Hybridization of C2H4 - Ethene (Ethylene)

To know about the hybridization of C2H4 (ethene or ethylene) students have to recognize or understand the number of bond and the orbitals present in the molecule. This will help in determining the hybridization type and other details. C2H4 is sp² hybridized.

What is the Hybridization of Ethene?

Let us look at how the hybridization of ethene (ethylene) occurs. When we look at the molecules of C2H4 it has 2 CH molecules and 4 H molecules. The carbon atom consists of 6 electrons and hydrogen has 1 electron.

During the formation of CH₂=CH₂, the electronic configuration of carbon in its ground state (1s² 2s² 2p¹ 2p¹) will change to an excited state and change to 1s² 2s¹ 2px¹2py¹ 2pz¹. In the excited state, since carbon needs electrons to form bonds one of the electrons from 2s² orbital will be shifted to the empty 2pz orbital to give 4 unpaired electrons.

Meanwhile, out of 2s, 2px, 2py, and 2pz orbitals in carbon, only 2px, 2py, and 2s take part in hybridization. One 2pz orbital remains unchanged. This leads to the formation of three sp² hybridized orbitals. The hybrid orbitals look like sp³ orbitals, but they are sp² orbitals as they are fatter and shorter.

The molecular orbitals after hybridization now form different bonds between the electrons. One carbon atom overlaps the sp² orbital of another carbon atom to form sp² – sp² sigma bond. The two sp² hybrid orbitals get overlapped by two hydrogen atoms containing unpaired electrons. A pi bond is formed by the unhybridized 2pz orbitals of each carbon atom.

Important Points To Remember

• In ethene molecule, the carbon atoms are sp² hybridized. One unpaired electron in the p orbital remains unchanged.
• In ethylene, each carbon combines with three other atoms rather than four.
• There is a formation of a sigma bond and a pi bond between two carbon atoms.

C2H4 Molecular Geometry And Bond Angles

C2H4 molecular geometry is said to be planar in structure while the sp² orbitals are placed at a bond angle of 120^o.

Read More About Hybridization of Other Chemical Compounds

• Hybridization Of XeF4
• Hybridization Of SF4
• Hybridization Of PCl3
• Hybridization Of Graphite
• Hybridization Of SO3