Carbon atom (1s2, 2s2 p2) does not take part as such in bond formation but its 2s and 2p orbital(s) merge together to form new orbitals known as hybrid orbitals and the process in turn is known as hybridisation. The three types of hybridisation encountered in organic compounds are sp3 (involved in saturated organic compounds containing only single covalent bonds ie. C - C), sp2 (involved in organic compounds having carbon linked by double bonds ie. C = C, e.g. ethylenes) and sp (involved in organic compounds having carbon linked by a triple bond i.e. C \(\equiv\) C, e.g. acetylenes).
