What is the excited state of carbon?

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Meave60
Sep 10, 2014

The ground state electron configuration of carbon is #"1""s"^"2""2s"^"2"2"""p""^2#. An excited state electron configuration of carbon is #"1""s"^"2""2s"^1"2p"^3"#. This is the state of carbon when it undergoes chemical bonding to form four covalent bonds, as in methane, #"CH"_"4"#. However, the experimental evidence shows that all four bonds have the same energy, which can only be explained by the concept that the 2s and 2p orbitals hybridize to form four #"sp"^3# orbitals, each with one unpaired electron.

![agabondguru.com/BluePenguinReportDaily/2009/04/carbon_deux.html](useruploads.socratic.org)

![agabondguru.com/BluePenguinReportDaily/2009/04/carbon_deux.html](useruploads.socratic.org)

![agabondguru.com/BluePenguinReportDaily/2009/04/carbon_deux.html](useruploads.socratic.org)

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