Final answer:
The correct hybridization for carbon in the combustion of acetylene is sp, and for oxygen (in CO2 and H2O), it is sp2. Acetylene's carbon atoms are sp hybridized due to the triple bond, and oxygen typically exhibits sp2 hybridization in its compounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is about determining the hybridization of carbon and oxygen in the combustion of acetylene (C2H2) to form CO2 and H2O. In acetylene, each carbon atom is sp hybridized. This is because acetylene has a triple bond between the carbon atoms, which consists of one sigma (σ) bond and two pi (π) bonds. The sp hybridization involves one s orbital and one p orbital, leaving two unhybridized p orbitals to form the π bonds.
In the case of molecular oxygen (O2) or in O in CO2 and H2O, the oxygen atoms are sp2 hybridized when they form sigma bonds, but in CO2, the carbon atom is sp hybridized as it forms two double bonds with two oxygen atoms. The correct answer to the student's question would be: b) Carbon: sp, Oxygen: sp2.