Final answer:
Carbon in phosgene (Cl₂CO) is sp hybridized with an approximate bond angle of 120°, which is typical for a trigonal planar geometry around the carbon atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hybridization of the carbon atom in the phosgene molecule (Cl₂CO) is sp hybridized. In phosgene, the carbon atom forms two single bonds with chlorine and one double bond with oxygen. Given these bonds and electron pairs, the electron pair geometry is trigonal planar. The approximate bond angle around the carbon atom is 120°, which is characteristic of sp hybridization. Meanwhile, in molecules like phosphorus pentachloride (PCl₅), the phosphorus atom exhibits sp³d hybridization and the chlorine in molecules like ClF₃ shows the same sp³d hybridization. The bond angles and geometries of different hybridizations result from the combinations of s, p, and possibly d atomic orbitals.