The double bond between the two carbon atoms in ethylene consists of

Options

A. Two `sigma-`bonds at right angles to each other
B. One sigma bond one pi bond
C. Two pi bonds at right angles to each other
D. Two pi bonds at an angle of `60^(@)` to each other

Answer

To determine what the double bond between the two carbon atoms in ethylene consists of, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Ethylene's Structure**:
- Ethylene (C₂H₄) consists of two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms. Each carbon atom has four valence electrons.

2. **Valence Electron Sharing**:
- Each hydrogen atom shares one of its electrons with a carbon atom to form a single bond (sigma bond). This helps hydrogen achieve a full outer shell (2 electrons).

3. **Formation of Carbon-Carbon Bonds**:
- Each carbon atom needs to form a total of four bonds to satisfy the octet rule. Since each carbon is already bonded to two hydrogen atoms (2 bonds), they need to form two additional bonds with each other.

4. **Types of Bonds**:
- The first bond formed between the two carbon atoms is a sigma (σ) bond, which is formed by the head-on overlap of their sp² hybrid orbitals.
- The second bond is a pi (π) bond, which is formed by the sidewise overlap of the unhybridized p orbitals of the two carbon atoms.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the double bond between the two carbon atoms in ethylene consists of one sigma bond and one pi bond.

### Final Answer:
The double bond between the two carbon atoms in ethylene consists of **one sigma bond and one pi bond**.

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