Chemistry
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals in Organic Compounds
Quick fact
In methane (CH₄), the four carbon–hydrogen bonds are identical, with bond angles of 109.5°, despite carbon having one 2s and three 2p orbitals of different energies. Hybridization blends them into four equivalent sp³ orbitals.
Why this is interesting
Carbon has only two unpaired electrons in its ground state, yet it reliably forms four bonds—how does it manage that? The answer lies in a clever quantum mechanical trick called hybridization.