[thetomatohead]

Okay so I read in a book that for hybrid orbitals...
sp - linear
sp² - trigonal
sp³ - tetrahedral

So which one is water considered? The shape of water is bent, right? is there any exception to this rule thing where sp could be like i don't know, trigonal?

I didn't really understand hybridization at all.
exerpt from hybridization notes:
"NOTES: Hybridization

When atomic orbitals hybridize, two or more orbitals blend together and create new types of orbitals that did not exist before.

Example: Be in BeCl2  , the Be has initially 2s2 valence electrons.  
•   One of the s electrons gets “promoted” to one of the p orbitals.
•   Atom now has two unpaired electrons but with different energies.
•   The 2s and the 2p combine to create two new orbitals that have equal energies, sp (1 s + 1p)"

^ i don't get the part where it says "one of the s electrons gets promoted to one of the p orbtals." how does that happen? and why?   the notes were so confusing...

[mike]

http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=5801;start=msg25789#msg25789

So which one is water considered? The shape of water is bent, right? is there any exception to this rule thing where sp could be like i don't know, trigonal?

This might help a little (I know it doesn't answer your whole question)

[thetomatohead]

thanks...

but i still don't get why hybridization happens or how. can anyone help explain?

[mike]

I don't think hybridisation "happens" I think it is just away to explain moleculer shapes and bonding. This is a good Wiki entry on hybridisation. I am not sure what your exact question is still.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_hybridisation