The orbital picture of a singlet carbene `(CH_(2))` can be drawn as

Options

A.
B.
C.
D. none of these

Answer

To draw the orbital picture of singlet carbene (CH₂), we need to follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Structure of Carbene
Carbene is a species containing a carbon atom that has only six electrons in its valence shell instead of eight. In the case of singlet carbene, the carbon atom is sp² hybridized and has a lone pair of electrons.

### Step 2: Determine the Hybridization
For CH₂:
- The carbon atom is bonded to two hydrogen atoms and has one lone pair.
- The hybridization of the carbon atom in singlet carbene is sp². This means one s orbital and two p orbitals combine to form three sp² hybrid orbitals.

### Step 3: Draw the Hybrid Orbitals
1. **Draw the sp² Hybrid Orbitals**:
- Draw three sp² hybrid orbitals arranged in a trigonal planar geometry around the carbon atom.
- Each sp² orbital will contain one electron, and the remaining p orbital will contain the lone pair.

2. **Draw the P Orbital**:
- The remaining p orbital (which is unhybridized) will be perpendicular to the plane of the sp² orbitals.

### Step 4: Show the Electrons
- In the sp² hybrid orbitals, place one electron in each of the two orbitals that overlap with hydrogen atoms (forming σ bonds).
- The third sp² orbital will have the lone pair of electrons.
- The unhybridized p orbital will be shown with no electrons (or can be shown with a lone electron if considering reactivity).

### Step 5: Indicate the Spin State
- In singlet carbene, the two electrons in the sp² orbitals are paired (one clockwise and one counterclockwise), resulting in a total spin of zero.
- This can be indicated by showing the paired electrons in the orbital diagram.

### Final Orbital Picture
- You will have a carbon atom at the center with three sp² orbitals (two with one electron each for bonding with H, and one with a lone pair) and one unhybridized p orbital.

### Conclusion
The orbital picture of singlet carbene (CH₂) consists of one sp² hybridized orbital with a lone pair and two sp² orbitals each bonded to hydrogen atoms, along with one unhybridized p orbital.

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