Edexcel AS Chemistry

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3.3.2 Bonding in Alkenes

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Bonding in Alkenes

  • Each carbon atom has four electrons in its outer shell (electronic configuration: 1s22s22p2)
  • Carbon atoms share these four electrons in four covalent bonds with other atoms to achieve a full outer shell configuration
  • These electrons are found in orbitals within the respective atoms
  • When forming a covalent bond, the orbitals overlap in such a way to form two types of bonds
    • Sigma bonds (σ)
    • Pi bonds (π)
  • When carbon atoms use only three of their electron pairs to form a σ bond, each carbon atom will have a p orbital which contains one spare electron
  • When the p orbitals of two carbon atoms overlap with each other, a π bond is formed (the π bond contains two electrons)
  • The two orbitals that form the π bond lie above and below the plane of the two carbon atoms to maximise bond overlap

σ bonds

  • Sigma (σ) bonds are formed from the end to end overlap of atomic orbitals
  • s orbitals overlap this way as well as p orbitals

Chemical Bonding Bond Overlap in Sigma Orbitals, downloadable AS & A Level Chemistry revision notes

Sigma orbitals can be formed from the end to end overlap of s orbitals 

  • The electron density in a σ bond is symmetrical about a line joining the nuclei of the atoms forming the bond
  • The pair of electrons is found between the nuclei of the two atoms
  • The electrostatic attraction between the electrons and nuclei bonds the atoms to each other

Hydrogen

  • The hydrogen atom has only one s orbital
  • The s orbitals of the two hydrogen atoms will overlap to form a σ bond

Chemical Bonding Orbital Overlap in Hydrogen, downloadable AS & A Level Chemistry revision notes

π bonds

  • Pi (π) bonds are formed from the sideways overlap of adjacent p orbitals
  • The two lobes that make up the π bond lie above and below the plane of the σ bond
  • This maximises overlap of the p orbitals
  • A single π bond is drawn as two electron clouds, one arising from each lobe of the p orbitals
  • The two clouds of electrons in a π bond represent one bond containing two electrons

Chemical Bonding Bond Overlap in Pi Orbitals, downloadable AS & A Level Chemistry revision notes

π orbitals can be formed from the sideways overlap of p orbitals

Ethene

  • Each carbon atom uses three of its four electrons to form σ bonds
  • Two σ bonds are formed with the hydrogen atoms
  • One σ bond is formed with the other carbon atom
  • The fourth electron from each carbon atom occupies a p orbital which overlaps sideways with another p orbital on the other carbon atom to form a π bond
  • This means that the C-C is a double bond: one σ and one π bond

Chemical Bonding Electron Density in Ethene, downloadable AS & A Level Chemistry revision notes

Each carbon atom in ethene forms two sigma bonds with hydrogen atoms and one σ bond with another carbon atom. The fourth electron is used to form a π bond between the two carbon atoms

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