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Difficulty: EasyTetrahedral Carbon, Bonding, and Hybridization

What is the bond angle between adjacent single covalent bonds formed by a tetrahedral sp3sp^3 hybridized carbon atom in a saturated organic compound?

  1. 109.5∘109.5^\circAnswer
  2. B
    120∘120^\circ
  3. C
    180∘180^\circ
  4. D
    90∘90^\circ

Answer

The bond angle of a tetrahedral sp³ hybridized carbon atom is 109.5°.
In saturated organic compounds such as alkanes, the central carbon atom forms four single sigma bonds using four equivalent sp3sp^3 hybrid orbitals. According to VSEPR theory, four bonding electron pairs surrounding a central atom arrange themselves in a regular tetrahedral shape to minimize electrostatic repulsion, yielding a standard bond angle of 109.5∘109.5^\circ.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the hybridization state of a carbon atom forming four single sigma bonds.
Mixing one 2s orbital and three 2p orbitals gives four equivalent sp3sp^3 hybrid orbitals.
Saturated carbon forms four single bonds by directed valence orbital mixing.
2
Apply VSEPR theory to determine spatial orientation for four electron pairs around the central carbon.
To minimize electron pair repulsion, the four orbitals point toward the vertices of a regular tetrahedron.
Symmetrical four-coordinate electron pair repulsion produces tetrahedral spatial orientation.
3
Identify the characteristic inter-bond angle of a regular tetrahedron.
The angle between any two adjacent bonds is 109.5∘109.5^\circ (or 109∘28′109^\circ 28').
This angle maximizes the distance between the four bonding electron pairs in three-dimensional space.

Key Concept

Tetrahedral Geometry and sp³ Hybridization Bond Angle
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Tetrahedral Carbon, Bonding, and Hybridization

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