How many atomic orbitals are formed duing a pi bond between p two orbitals?
Does the pi bond count as another orbital?
Im confused if the answer is 3 or 2?
can someone help me :(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_bond
I can definitely help you with that! When two p orbitals overlap to form a pi bond, three atomic orbitals are involved. Let me explain the process in more detail.
In a pi bond, two p orbitals from different atoms come together in a sideways overlap. Each p orbital has two lobes, and the overlapping occurs between the lobes. One lobe from each p orbital comes into contact with the other, resulting in the creation of a pi bond.
Let's break down the overlap step by step:
1. Two p orbitals: Initially, you start with two separate p orbitals, each of which contains a single electron. These p orbitals are oriented perpendicular to the bond axis.
2. Overlapping: The two p orbitals align in a sideways manner, so that one lobe of one p orbital overlaps with one lobe of the other p orbital. This creates a region of electron density forming the pi bond.
3. Formation of three atomic orbitals: During the overlapping, two new regions of electron density are formed, one above and one below the plane containing the bond axis. These regions are called pi orbitals or pi bonds.
So, to answer your question, the pi bond does not count as another orbital itself. Instead, it is formed as a result of the overlap of the two p orbitals, which creates three atomic orbitals altogether: the original two p orbitals and the two pi orbitals that interact to create the pi bond.
I hope this explanation clarifies your confusion! Let me know if you have any further questions.