The hybridization of sulphur in `SO_(2)` is: 

Options

A. `sp`
B. `sp^(3)`
C. `sp^(2)`
D. `dsp^(2)`

Answer

To determine the hybridization of sulfur in sulfur dioxide (SO₂), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the central atom
The central atom in the molecule SO₂ is sulfur (S).

### Step 2: Determine the number of valence electrons
Sulfur is in group 16 of the periodic table, which means it has 6 valence electrons.

### Step 3: Count the number of bonded atoms
In SO₂, sulfur is bonded to two oxygen atoms. Each oxygen atom forms a double bond with sulfur, but for hybridization purposes, we consider the number of bonded atoms, which is 2.

### Step 4: Calculate the steric number
The steric number (SN) can be calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{SN} = \text{Number of valence electrons of central atom} + \text{Number of monovalent atoms} \]
In this case:
- Number of valence electrons of sulfur = 6
- Number of monovalent atoms (which are single-bonded) = 0 (since both bonds with oxygen are double bonds).

Thus, the steric number is:
\[ \text{SN} = 6 + 0 = 6 \]

### Step 5: Determine the hybridization
The hybridization can be determined based on the steric number:
- A steric number of 3 corresponds to sp² hybridization.

Therefore, the hybridization of sulfur in SO₂ is **sp²**.

### Final Answer:
The hybridization of sulfur in SO₂ is **sp²**.

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