A. What is the hybridization of the central atom in NOCl? Hybridization- What are the approximate bond angles in this Bond angles substan
B. What is the hybridization of the central atom in NH,CIT Hybridization What are the approximate bond angles in this Bond angles substan
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Below are the answers along with detailed explanations and illustrative diagrams.
A. Nitrosyl Chloride (NOCl)
Hybridization: The central nitrogen in NOCl is sp² hybridized.
Bond Angles: With three electron domains—one double bond to oxygen, one single bond to chlorine, and one lone pair—the electron geometry is trigonal planar. However, the lone pair exerts a stronger repulsive force, compressing the O–N–Cl bond angle to slightly less than the ideal 120°. In practice, the bond angle is approximately 115°.
Explanation:
Nitrosyl chloride (NOCl) has a structure that can be drawn as O=N–Cl. Here, nitrogen serves as the central atom. It forms a double bond with oxygen and a single bond with chlorine. Despite only two bonds being present, nitrogen also retains one lone pair of electrons. In Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory, these three electron domains (the double bond, single bond, and lone pair) would ideally adopt a trigonal planar arrangement, which normally features bond angles of 120°. However, lone pairs are more repulsive than bonding pairs. This extra repulsion pushes the bonded atoms slightly closer together, reducing the bond angle to around 115°. Thus, while the electron-domain geometry remains trigonal planar (sp²), the observed molecular shape is bent.
B. Chloramine (NH₂Cl)
Hybridization: The central nitrogen in NH₂Cl (chloramine) is sp³ hybridized.
Bond Angles: With four electron groups—three bonding pairs (two N–H bonds and one N–Cl bond) and one lone pair—the ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5° is slightly reduced by the lone pair’s repulsion, resulting in bond angles of roughly 107°.
Explanation:
In chloramine, nitrogen forms three sigma bonds (two to hydrogen and one to chlorine) and carries one lone pair, totaling four electron groups. According to VSEPR theory, four electron groups around a central atom arrange themselves in a tetrahedral geometry. The ideal bond angle in a perfect tetrahedron is 109.5°. However, the lone pair occupies more space than bonding pairs due to its higher electron density, leading to stronger repulsion. This repulsion pushes the bonded atoms closer together, causing the bond angles between the atoms to decrease to approximately 107°. The overall molecular shape is thus trigonal pyramidal. This pattern is analogous to what is observed in ammonia (NH₃), where the lone pair similarly reduces the bond angle from 109.5° to around 107°.
Diagrams
Below are simplified structural diagrams illustrating the bonding and approximate angles:
NOCl Diagram:
O
||
N <-- Lone Pair (not shown for clarity)
|
Cl
≈ 115° (O–N–Cl)
NH₂Cl Diagram:
H
\
N <-- Lone Pair (not shown for clarity)
/ \
H Cl
≈ 107° (between bonds)
These diagrams summarize the connectivity and the expected bond angles based on the VSEPR model.