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Sigma bonds do not fixate the atoms in one position because they only bind the two atoms' s orbitals. Pi bonds however, form between the p-orbitals of two atoms and secure the top and bottom of an atom in place. Therefore, the single atom is no longer able to rotate, but must move with the other atom to which it is bound.
This relates directly to labeling molecules as bidentate. My TA gave an example of two aspects of a molecule connected by a double bond versus a single bond. The single bond could spin any way it wanted to, so rotating one aspect of the molecule 180 degrees put the two nitrogen atoms right next to each other and allowed them to bond in another place, making the entire molecule bidentate. However, the other molecule had a double bond and was not able to rotate and become bidentate; she said this is because the pi bond that is always present in double bonds because pi bonds are more horizontal and lock the atoms into place.
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