The carbon dioxide molecule contains how many double bonds?

1 Answer
anor277
Jun 16, 2018

#"Two...?"#

Explanation:

We got carbon dioxide, with #2xx6_"oxygen"+1xx4_"carbon"# valence electrons to distribute...i.e. 8 electron pairs over the three centres...

#:ddotO=C=stackrel(ddot)O:#

Formally, the carbon centre is #"sp-hybridized"#, whereas each oxygen centre is #"sp"^2"-hybridized"#, and thus #/_O-C-O=180^@#.

chem.libretexts.org

And clearly, the two #C-O# #pi-"bonds"# ARE ORTHOGONAL to each other.

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