Final answer:
The hybridization of the oxygen atom in OF2 is sp3, as oxygen forms two sigma bonds with fluorine atoms and has two lone pairs, requiring four equivalent sp3 hybrid orbitals to accommodate them.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hybridization of the oxygen atom in OF2 can be determined by examining the Lewis structure of the molecule and using the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory.
Oxygen has six valence electrons. When bonded to the two fluorine atoms in OF2, there are four electron pairs around the oxygen atom: two bonding pairs and two lone pairs. The VSEPR model would predict a bent molecular geometry for OF2.
To accommodate four electron pairs (tetrahedral arrangement), the oxygen atom needs to form sp3 hybrid orbitals. Therefore, the hybridization of the oxygen atom in OF2 is sp3. This hybridization allows for the formation of two sigma bonds with the fluorine atoms and leaves two lone pairs in the other two sp3 hybrid orbitals.