As a chemistry professor, I’ve observed that ChatGPT consistently provides incorrect responses regarding the hybridization in diatomic molecules such as CO, NO, and HF.
For example, it says carbon in CO has sp hybridization and even refers to it as the “central atom”, which is conceptually incorrect. Diatomic molecules do not have a central atom, and hybridization is not applicable in such cases. These molecules are better described using molecular orbital theory or simple unhybridized orbital overlaps.
Hybridization is only justified when needed to explain equivalent bond energies and molecular geometry in polyatomic molecules, such as BeF₂ or CH₄. Applying it to diatomic species creates confusion for students and misleads learners.
I’ve discussed this with ChatGPT, and it acknowledged the issue when properly prompted, but the incorrect answers continue to appear on other devices or new chats. This points to a model-wide misunderstanding, not just a conversational correction.
I request the team to review this and consider model adjustments in future updates.
Md. Rashidul Islam
Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemistry
Govt. Shah Sultan College, Bogura, Bangladesh