Numford
Hybridisation

Hybridisation of Cl₂O

O is sp³ hybridised (hybridization by the VSEPR count): 2 sigma bonds and 2 lone pairs give a bent shape, bond angle about 111°.

ClOCl
  • O
  • Cl
  • lone pair

Cl₂ODichlorine monoxide

Bent

AB₂E₂: 2 bond pairs, 2 lone pairs

  • Hybridisationsp³
  • Bond angleabout 111°
  • Polaritypolar

Why this shape

  1. O has 6 valence electrons. It uses two in two single bonds to Cl, so four are left as two lone pairs.
  2. Steric number = two sigma bonds + two lone pairs = 4, so O is sp³ hybridised.
  3. Four electron pairs point to the corners of a tetrahedron (tetrahedral electron geometry). With two lone pairs in place of atoms, the atoms make a bent shape.
  4. The two large Cl atoms crowd each other, and that pushes the angle open to about 111 degrees, a little more than 109.5, even with two lone pairs on O.
  5. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the bent shape, so Cl₂O is polar.

Lewis structure

20 valence electrons
OClCl

Formal charges: none

Working

Why this hybridisation and shape

  1. O has 6 valence electrons. It uses two in two single bonds to Cl, so four are left as two lone pairs.
  2. Steric number = two sigma bonds + two lone pairs = 4, so O is sp³ hybridised.
  3. Four electron pairs point to the corners of a tetrahedron (tetrahedral electron geometry). With two lone pairs in place of atoms, the atoms make a bent shape.
  4. The two large Cl atoms crowd each other, and that pushes the angle open to about 111 degrees, a little more than 109.5, even with two lone pairs on O.
  5. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the bent shape, so Cl₂O is polar.

Class 11, Chapter 4 Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure.

Questions

Hybridisation of Cl2O: quick answers

What is the hybridisation of Cl2O?

O has 6 valence electrons. It uses two in two single bonds to Cl, so four are left as two lone pairs. Steric number = two sigma bonds + two lone pairs = 4, so O is sp³ hybridised.

What is the shape of Cl2O and its bond angle?

Bent, with a bond angle of about 111 degrees. Four electron pairs point to the corners of a tetrahedron (tetrahedral electron geometry). With two lone pairs in place of atoms, the atoms make a bent shape. The two large Cl atoms crowd each other, and that pushes the angle open to about 111 degrees, a little more than 109.5, even with two lone pairs on O.

Is Cl2O polar or non-polar?

Polar. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the bent shape, so Cl₂O is polar.

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