StellarHybridization
Bonds between electrons are formed with the valence electrons of each atom, which come from the ‘s’ and ‘p’ sublevels. However, the ‘s’ and ‘p’ orbitals have different shapes and behaviors, so when it comes time for an atom to bond, the atom will undergo a process called hybridization to ensure that all orbitals behave the same. This is when ‘s’ and ‘p’ sublevels combine to form hybrid ‘sp’ orbitals that do not behave differently from each other. Different numbers of hybridization orbitals can be formed depending on the electron domains of a bonded atom.
An electron domain of an atom is a region in which electrons can be found. A single/double/triple bond that connects two atoms counts as one electron domain, known as a bond pair. (This is important to note—even if it is a double or triple bond, it is still only one electron domain.) Lone pairs, or pairs of electrons, are also electron domains.