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Ch.10 - Chemical Bonding II: Molecular Shapes & Valence Bond Theory
Chapter 10, Problem 67

Consider the structure of the amino acid alanine. Indicate the hybridization about each interior atom.
Structural diagram of alanine showing atom hybridization for each interior atom.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Hybridization

Hybridization is the concept of mixing atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals that can accommodate the bonding requirements of atoms in a molecule. In the case of alanine, understanding the hybridization of each interior atom helps predict the geometry and bond angles around those atoms, which is crucial for understanding the molecule's structure and reactivity.
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Hybridization

Amino Acids Structure

Amino acids are organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins. Each amino acid has a central carbon atom (the alpha carbon) bonded to an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable R group (side chain). The specific structure of alanine, with its methyl side chain, influences its properties and interactions in biological systems.
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Bond Angles and Molecular Geometry

Bond angles and molecular geometry are determined by the arrangement of electron pairs around a central atom, influenced by hybridization. For alanine, the hybridization of the carbon atoms leads to specific bond angles (e.g., approximately 109.5° for tetrahedral geometry) that dictate the overall shape of the molecule, affecting its function and interactions in biological contexts.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Write a hybridization and bonding scheme for each molecule or ion. Sketch the structure, including overlapping orbitals, and label all bonds using the notation shown in Examples 10.6 and 10.7. a. SO32-

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Textbook Question

Write a hybridization and bonding scheme for each molecule that contains more than one interior atom. Indicate the hybridization about each interior atom. Sketch the structure, including overlapping orbitals, and label all bonds using the notation shown in Examples 10.6 and 10.7. a. N2H2 (skeletal structure HNNH) b. N2H4 (skeletal structure H2NNH2) c. CH3NH2 (skeletal structure H3CNH2)

Textbook Question

Write a hybridization and bonding scheme for each molecule that contains more than one interior atom. Indicate the hybridization about each interior atom. Sketch the structure, including overlapping orbitals, and label all bonds using the notation shown in Examples 10.6 and 10.7. c. C2H6 (skeletal structure H3CCH3)

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Textbook Question

Consider the structure of the amino acid aspartic acid. Indicate the hybridization about each interior atom.

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Textbook Question

Sketch the bonding molecular orbital that results from the linear combination of two 1s orbitals. Indicate the region where interference occurs and state the kind of interference (constructive or destructive).

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Textbook Question

Draw an MO energy diagram and predict the bond order of Be2+ and Be2- . Do you expect these molecules to exist in the gas phase?

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