Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry Practice Exam

Linear geometry is characteristic of sp hybridization. In sp hybridization, one s orbital combines with one p orbital, resulting in two identical sp hybrid orbitals that are oriented 180 degrees apart. This orientation leads to a straight-line arrangement of the bonded atoms, establishing a linear molecular shape.

Other types of hybridization, such as sp2 and sp3, lead to geometries that differ from linear. For instance, sp2 hybridization involves one s orbital and two p orbitals, resulting in three sp2 hybrid orbitals arranged in a trigonal planar configuration, typically with bond angles of 120 degrees. Similarly, sp3 hybridization involves one s orbital and three p orbitals, forming four sp3 hybrid orbitals that adopt a tetrahedral geometry with bond angles of about 109.5 degrees. The concept of sp4 hybridization, on the other hand, is not commonly recognized in standard hybridization theory.

Thus, sp hybridization is the only hybridization type that corresponds to linear geometry, leading to the conclusion that this is the correct choice.