9 The Shapes of Molecules

Questions:
1. What shape does the molecule or polyatomic ion have?
2. What are the angles between the bonds of the molecule of polyatomic ion?
3. How long are the bonds and what are their polarities?
4. How does VSEPR (valence-shell electron-pair repulsion) theory help us to visualize the way in
which a certain number of groups around a central atom would be distributed so as to minimize
electron pair repulsion?
5.
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Essential Question:
1. How does VSEPR theory predict the shape of a molecule?
Questions/Main Ideas:

What is the basic

principle of VSEPR?
What is meant by a
group of electrons?
What is molecular
shape?
What is the difference
between the electrongroup arrangement and
the molecular shape?
Why do different
molecular shapes occur
when some of the
electron groups are
nonbonding groups?
What is bond angle?

Notes:

To minimize repulsions, each group of valence electrons

around a central atom is located as far as possible from
the others.
A group of electrons is any number that occupies a
localized region around an atom: single bond, double
bond, triple bond, lone pair, or even lone electron.
The molecular shape is the 3D arrangement of nuclei
joined by the bonding groups.
The electron-group arrangement is defined by the
bonding and nonbonding electron groups, but the
molecular shape is defined by the relative positions of the
nuclei, which are connected by the bonding groups only.
Because no nucleus is attached.

The bond angle is the angle that is formed by the nuclei

of two surrounding atoms with the nucleus of the central
atom at the vertex.

Only electron groups

around the central atom
affect the shape. True or
false?
Two electron groups
attached to a central
atom point in which
directions?
What is the bond angle
for a molecule with a
linear shape and a linear
arrangement of electron
groups?
Where do three electron
groups around a central
atom point to? Which
arrangement and what
bond angle does this
give?
How does a lone pair
affect the bond angle?

What is the effect of

double bonds on bond
angle?
All molecules or ions
with four electron
groups around a central
atom adopt the ______
arrangement.

True.

Opposite directions.

180.

Three electron groups around a central atom point to the

corners of an equilateral triangle. This gives the trigonal
planar arrangement and an ideal bond angle of 120.

A lone pair is held by only one nucleus, a lone pair is less

confined than a bonding pair, so it exerts stronger
repulsions. In general, a lone pair repels bonding pairs
more than bonding pairs repel each other, so it decreases
the angle between bonding pairs.
The electron density of a double bond repels electrons in
single bonds more than the single bonds repel each other.

Summary: