1. Draw the Lewis Structure:
* Nitrogen (N): 5 valence electrons
* Oxygen (O): 6 valence electrons each
* Hydrogen (H): 1 valence electron each
The Lewis structure of HNO₂ is:
```
O
/ \
N O
\ |
H
```
2. Count the Electron Domains:
* Electron domains are areas where electrons are concentrated around the central atom. This includes:
* Single bonds
* Double bonds
* Triple bonds
* Lone pairs
The nitrogen atom has:
* Two single bonds (N-O and N-H)
* One double bond (N=O)
* No lone pairs
Therefore, nitrogen has a total of 3 electron domains.
3. Determine the Hybridization:
* 2 electron domains: sp hybridization
* 3 electron domains: sp² hybridization
* 4 electron domains: sp³ hybridization
* 5 electron domains: sp³d hybridization
* 6 electron domains: sp³d² hybridization
Since the nitrogen atom has 3 electron domains, it is sp² hybridized.
Conclusion: The nitrogen atom in HNO₂ is sp² hybridized.
