What is the percent "s" character of the hybrid oxygen orbital in water?
What is the percent "s" character of the hybrid oxygen orbital in water?
25%
When orbitals hybridize they do so in a weighted manner such that the character of the hybrid orbital is an average of its contributors. Therefore, an sp hybrid orbital has 50% s character and 50% p character. By this same logic, the oxygen in water—which is sp3 hybridized, exhibits 25% "s" character and 75% p character. Mathematically, 1s orbital and 3p orbital's equal 4 orbitals (1s + 3p = 4 orbitals). 1 out of 4, ¼ , or 25% is from the s orbital.
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