Acetylene is a linear molecule. State true or false.

Answer

To determine whether the statement "Acetylene is a linear molecule" is true or false, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Structure of Acetylene
Acetylene, also known as ethyne, has the chemical formula C₂H₂. Its structure can be represented as:
\[ \text{H-C≡C-H} \]
This indicates that there is a triple bond between the two carbon atoms.

### Step 2: Identify the Hybridization of Carbon Atoms
To find out if acetylene is linear, we need to determine the hybridization of the carbon atoms involved in the triple bond.

- Each carbon atom in acetylene is bonded to one hydrogen atom and is involved in a triple bond with another carbon atom.
- The triple bond consists of one sigma (σ) bond and two pi (π) bonds.

### Step 3: Calculate the Number of Sigma Bonds
The hybridization can be determined by counting the number of sigma bonds:
- Each carbon in acetylene forms:
- 1 sigma bond with hydrogen
- 1 sigma bond with the other carbon (from the triple bond)

Thus, each carbon has a total of 2 sigma bonds.

### Step 4: Determine the Hybridization Type
The hybridization can be calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{Hybridization} = \text{Number of sigma bonds} \]
Since each carbon has 2 sigma bonds, the hybridization for each carbon is:
\[ \text{Hybridization} = sp \]
This indicates that the carbon atoms are sp hybridized.

### Step 5: Conclude the Molecular Geometry
Molecules with sp hybridization are linear in shape due to the arrangement of the electron pairs around the carbon atoms. Therefore, the geometry of acetylene is linear.

### Final Answer
Based on the analysis, the statement "Acetylene is a linear molecule" is **True**.

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