Formation of hybrid orbitals, which are mixtures of individual atomic orbitals, is called what?

• A. Polarization
• B. Hybridization
• C. Ionization
• D. Dissociation

Answer: (B)

When atoms form bonds, their valence atomic orbitals can mix to create new, directional orbitals that are better suited for sharing electrons. This blending is called hybridization. By combining s and p orbitals (for example, one s and three p orbitals) you get hybrid orbitals such as sp3, which point in specific directions and have energies suitable for forming bonds in a particular geometry, like the tetrahedral arrangement seen in methane. This is why hybridization is central to explaining molecular shapes and bonding patterns—the new hybrid orbitals are the ones that actually overlap to form sigma bonds while giving the molecule its observed geometry. The other terms refer to different processes: polarization is distortion of electron density, ionization is removing electrons, and dissociation is breaking bonds to split a molecule.