What are the hybrid orbitals of CO2?

Is there a picture of how the atomic orbitals overlapped in CO2?

• Answer:

  Yes.  First you have to understand the hybridization of the carbons and the oxygens.  The carbon only needs two sigma bonds and therefore only needs to hybridize two atomic orbitals:  sp.  The oxygen needs three hybrid orbitals, one for the sigma bond to carbon and two to hold the two unshared electron pairs.  Oxygen is therefore sp^2 hybridized: Now that leaves carbon with two p orbitals and oxygen with one p orbital.  the p orbitals overlap to form pi-bonds: Notice that the pi-bonds are rotated 90 degrees to each other. Credit where it is due: I could have drawn these pictures, eventually, and with minimal success, If I was determined and had over-estimated my ability to draw, but I found them here:  http://chemistry.tutorvista.com/inorganic-chemistry/co2-molecular-geometry.html Cheers!