alleryStart learning →In alkanes, each carbon atom is best described as:
Asp hybridized, bonded to two atoms
Bsp3 hybridized, bonded to four other atoms
Csp2 hybridized, bonded to three atoms
Dsp3d hybridized, bonded to five atoms
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. sp3 hybridized, bonded to four other atoms
1. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning every carbon-carbon bond is a single bond.
2. The text states: "Each of the carbon atoms in an alkane has sp3 hybrid orbitals and is bonded to four other atoms, each of which is either carbon or hydrogen."
3. This sp3 geometry is what gives alkane chains their characteristic zigzag shape, with bond angles near 109.5°.
4. So alkane carbons are sp3 hybridized and four-bonded, not sp/sp2 hybridized with fewer bonds, or sp3d hybridized with an extra bond.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry Ch 20 "Organic Chemistry", p.1098 §20.1 Hydrocarbons_
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