The valence electron configurations of several atoms are shown here. How many bonds can each atom make without hybridization? c. O 2s2sp4

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Identify the valence electron configuration of the oxygen atom: 2s^2 2p^4.

Determine the number of valence electrons: Oxygen has 6 valence electrons (2 from 2s and 4 from 2p).

Understand that oxygen needs 8 electrons to complete its octet, so it needs 2 more electrons.

Recognize that each bond formed by oxygen will provide one additional electron, so oxygen can form 2 bonds to achieve a full octet.

Conclude that without hybridization, oxygen can form 2 bonds, typically resulting in two single bonds or one double bond.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and are crucial in determining how an atom can bond with others. The number of valence electrons influences the atom's ability to form bonds, as these electrons are involved in chemical reactions and bond formation. For example, oxygen has six valence electrons, which allows it to form two bonds to achieve a stable octet.

Bonding Capacity

The bonding capacity of an atom refers to the maximum number of bonds it can form with other atoms. This capacity is determined by the number of unpaired valence electrons available for bonding. In the case of oxygen, with its six valence electrons, it can form two covalent bonds by sharing its unpaired electrons with other atoms.

Hybridization

Hybridization is a concept in chemistry that describes the mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals, which can accommodate bonding. However, the question specifies 'without hybridization,' meaning we consider the atom's bonding based solely on its original atomic orbitals. For oxygen, without hybridization, it can still form two bonds using its unhybridized p orbitals.

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