Which orbital overlap produces a bond in HCl?

Step-by-step solution

The electronic configuration of H is 1s^1 . The electronic configuration of Cl is 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^5 . The unpaired electron in the hydrogen atom is present in the 1s orbital, which is spherically symmetrical. The unpaired electron in the chlorine atom is present in one of the 3p orbitals, which is dumbbell-shaped. The formation of the HCl molecule involves the axial overlap of the half-filled 1s orbital of the hydrogen atom with the half-filled 3p orbital of the chlorine atom. This head-on overlap between an