What is overlapping explain with example in chemistry

Overlapping (in Chemistry)

Overlapping refers to the partial merging or sharing of atomic orbitals from two atoms to form a chemical bond, especially a covalent bond.

🔹 Definition:

Overlapping is the partial merging of atomic orbitals of two atoms during the formation of a molecule, which allows electrons to be shared between them.


🔹 Types of Overlapping:

  1. s–s Overlapping:
    Between two s-orbitals.
    Example: H–H bond in H₂ molecule.

  2. s–p Overlapping:
    Between s-orbital of one atom and p-orbital of another.
    Example: H–Cl bond in HCl molecule.

  3. p–p Overlapping:
    Between two p-orbitals.
    Example: F–F bond in F₂ molecule.


🔹 Example: Hydrogen Molecule (H₂)

Each hydrogen atom has 1s¹ configuration.

  • When two hydrogen atoms approach each other, their 1s orbitals overlap.
  • This overlap allows each atom to share one electron, forming a single covalent bond (σ bond).

Diagram (simplified):

H (1s)   +   H (1s)  →  H—H

🔹 Types of Bonds from Overlapping:

  • Sigma (σ) bond: Formed by head-on (end-to-end) overlapping.
  • Pi (π) bond: Formed by side-by-side overlapping of p-orbitals.

In Short:

Overlapping is the basic mechanism by which covalent bonds form — atoms share electrons by overlapping their orbitals.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Faraday's First Law of Electrolysis (Chemistry, Class 12):

What is electromotive force in Chemistry class 12th

What is means of isolated gaseous atom