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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: ZanyCat on May 26, 2013, 05:30:06 AM

Title: A (seemingly) basic energy-level question
Post by: ZanyCat on May 26, 2013, 05:30:06 AM

I'll use CO2 as an example.

So the energy-level diagram for the carbon has: one 1s orbital, two 2sp orbitals and two 2p orbitals, listed from lowest to highest energy.

Ignoring the 1s, there are 4 valence electrons. In my way of thinking, the lowest energy shells should be filled first, so we would have  :spinpaired:  :spinpaired: in the sp hybridised orbitals, and 'empty' 2p orbitals.
But clearly, there's a pi bond, so in reality we have  :spinup: :spinup: in the 2sp orbitals and  :spinup: :spinup: in the 2p orbitals.

Where is my thinking going wrong? Thanks!

Title: Re: A (seemingly) basic energy-level question
Post by: Corribus on May 26, 2013, 11:14:14 AM

You also have electrons from the oxygen atoms.