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Wed 12 Sep, 2007 12:51 am
Ok, I dont get the hybridization of (NH3)-, It has 6 valance electrons, with 3 electrons being shared with 3 hydrogen atom. But what about the 3 lone electrons? I know it takes one pair to make a MO. And one more thing, for antibonding and bonding molecular orbital, if their numbers of electrons are the same, that means the compound doesn't exist right?
Hi newb!
Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons. Here is a picture of its ground state electron coniguration.
As you can see, there are three bondings possible. But this does not explain ammonias properties.
For instance in acid solutions ammonia reacts to NH4+.
NH3 + H+ --> NH4+
It is assumed that at the synthesis of ammonia the 2s and the the three 2p orbitals hybridize. That means they shade off into a higher level of energy. In this case it is called sp3 hybridization - one s oribal, 3 p orbitals.
That's the reason of ammonias structure.
This page shows ammonias structure and similar compounds like methan.
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/204tetrahedral.html
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