Looking ahead in Chapter 4, we explain that molecules like CH 3 + are Lewis acids or electron pair acceptors. Into which orbital would the new electron pair go?

Hi, everyone. Here's your next question. A Lewis acid is a substance that can accept an electron pair. One example of a Lewis acid is si H three plus which orbital will the new electron occupy if si H three plus accepts an electron pair choice. A unoccupied S P hybrid orbital B, unoccupied S P two or hybrid orbital C occupied S P three hybrid orbital or D unoccupied S P three hybrid orbital. When we think about silicon, we know that it has 14 electrons. So its electrons will be one S two, two, S two, two P six that gives us 10 electrons and then three S 23 P two. So we have four valence electrons and we could get to that quickly if we remember silicon is right below carbon in our periodic table. So they have the same number of valence electrons. So with those four valence electrons, the silicon atom hybridizes to form four S P three or poles. So we can draw our silicon. We know it has three hydrogens and then it has a positive charge. So it's missing its fourth valence electron. Three of them are sharing uh in electrons in a bond with the hydrogens. And then it has an empty S P three orbital write that there empty S P three orbital. So obviously, that's very happy to accept an electron pair. And that electron would go into that empty S P three orbital. So that will be choice d the unoccupied S P three hybrid orbital is the orbital that will accept the new electrons in SI H three plus. See you in the next video.

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1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 17m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 19m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids4h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

1. A Review of General Chemistry

Molecular Orbitals

Organic Chemistry

1. A Review of General Chemistry

Molecular Orbitals

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2:35 minutes

Problem 82

Textbook Question

Looking ahead in Chapter 4, we explain that molecules like CH₃⁺ are Lewis acids or electron pair acceptors. Into which orbital would the new electron pair go?

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Understand the context: CH₃⁺ is a carbocation, which means it has a positively charged carbon atom. This positive charge arises because the carbon atom has only six electrons in its valence shell, making it electron-deficient and a Lewis acid (electron pair acceptor).

Recall the electronic configuration of carbon: Carbon has an atomic number of 6, so its ground-state electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p². In CH₃⁺, the carbon atom is sp² hybridized, leaving one unhybridized p orbital.

Visualize the molecular geometry: CH₃⁺ has a trigonal planar geometry due to sp² hybridization. The three sp² orbitals form sigma bonds with the three hydrogen atoms, while the unhybridized p orbital remains empty and perpendicular to the plane of the molecule.

Determine the orbital that can accept the electron pair: The empty unhybridized p orbital on the carbon atom is the orbital that can accept the incoming electron pair. This is because it is the only orbital available and not involved in bonding.

Conclude: The new electron pair would go into the empty p orbital of the carbon atom in CH₃⁺, which is aligned perpendicular to the plane of the molecule.

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Key Concepts

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

Lewis Acids and Bases

Lewis acids are defined as substances that can accept an electron pair, while Lewis bases donate an electron pair. This concept is crucial for understanding how certain molecules, like CH₃⁺, interact with other species in chemical reactions. The ability of a Lewis acid to accept electrons is fundamental in predicting the outcome of reactions involving these species.

Molecular Orbitals

Molecular orbitals are formed by the combination of atomic orbitals when atoms bond together. In the case of CH₃⁺, the molecular orbitals determine where the new electron pair will reside after it is accepted by the Lewis acid. Understanding the arrangement and energy levels of these orbitals is essential for predicting the behavior of the molecule in chemical reactions.

Orbital Hybridization

Orbital hybridization is the process by which atomic orbitals mix to form new hybrid orbitals that can accommodate bonding. In CH₃⁺, the carbon atom undergoes sp³ hybridization, resulting in four equivalent orbitals that can form bonds. Recognizing the type of hybridization helps in determining the geometry of the molecule and the orbital into which the new electron pair will be accepted.

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Looking ahead in Chapter 4, we explain that molecules like CH3+ are Lewis acids or electron pair acceptors. Into which orbital would the new electron pair go?

Key Concepts

Lewis Acids and Bases

Molecular Orbitals

Orbital Hybridization

Watch next

Looking ahead in Chapter 4, we explain that molecules like CH₃⁺ are Lewis acids or electron pair acceptors. Into which orbital would the new electron pair go?