MOLECULAR SHAPES

COURSE OUTCOME 3
Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion
• predicts the shapes of many molecules and polyatomic ions but
provides no information about bond lengths or the presence of multiple
bonds.
Electron – Pair Geometry(EPG)
• A molecule can be described in terms of the distribution of the bonding
pair electrons (bp) and lone pair electrons (lp) about the central atom:
Molecular Geometry (MG)
• Central Atoms Surrounded Only by Single-Bond Pairs

CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 2

RESONANCE
Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion
• predicts the shapes of many molecules and polyatomic ions but
provides no information about bond lengths or the presence of multiple
bonds.
Electron – Pair Geometry(EPG)
• A molecule can be described in terms of the distribution of the bonding
pair electrons (bp) and lone pair electrons (lp) about the central atom:
Molecular Geometry (MG)
• Central Atoms Surrounded Only by Single-Bond Pairs

CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 3

Geometry of Covalent Molecules ABn, and ABnEm
Shared Unshared
Type Electron Electron Electronic Molecular Geometry
Formula Pairs Pairs Geometry Examples

AB2 2 0 Linear Linear CdBr2

AB2E 2 1 Trigonal planar Angular, or bent SnCl2, PbI2
AB2E2 2 2 Tetrahedral Angular, or bent OH2, OF2, SCl2, TeI2
AB2E3 2 3 Trigonal bipyramidal Linear XeF2
AB3 3 0 Trigonal planar Trigonal planar BCl3, BF3, GaI3
AB3E 3 1 Tetrahedral Triangular pyramidal NH3, NF3, PCl3, AsBr3

AB4 4 0 Tetrahedral Tetrahedral CH4, SiCl4, SnBr4, ZrI4

AB3E2 3 2 Triangular bipyramidal T-shaped ClF3, BrF3

AB4E 4 1 Triangular bipyramidal Irregular tetrahedral SF4, SeCl4, TeBr4

(or “see-saw”)
AB4E2 4 2 Octahedral Square planar XeF4
AB5 5 0 Triangular bipyramidal Triangular bipyramidal PF5, PCl5(g), SbF5

AB5E 5 1 Octahedral Square pyramidal IF5

AB6 6 0 Octahedral Octahedral SF6, SeF6, Te(OH)6,
MoF6

Bailar, Moeller, Kleinberg, Guss, Castellion, Metz, Chemistry, 1984, page 317.
VSEPR
Predicting Molecular (or Ion) Shape
1. Write the Lewis structure
2. Count the number of electron domains around the central atom to
determine the arrangement minimizing repulsion
3. Describe the molecular geometry in terms of the arrangement of the
bonding domains.
4. Double and triple bonds are counted as one domain for determining
molecular shape

CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 5

HYBRIDIZATION & BOND
ANGLES
Total bonds + lone e- pairs

total bonds + Electron

Hybridization Bond Angles
e- pairs Geometry
sp 2 Linear 180
sp2 3 Trigonal Planar 120
sp3 4 Tetrahedral 109.5
Trigonal
sp3d 5 90,120
Bipyramidal
sp3d2 6 Octahedral 90

CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 6

HYBRIDIZATION &
ANGLES

CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 7

EXAMPLES
1. BeH2
2. BF3
3. CH4
4. PCl5
5. SF6

CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 8

ELECTRON GEOMETRY
2 total
2 bond B A B

0 lone

BeH2 LINEAR 180°

CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 9

ELECTRON GEOMETRY
3 total
3 bond B

0 lone A

B B

BF3
TRIGONAL PLANAR
120°
CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 10
ELECTRON GEOMETRY
4 total B

4 bond
A
0 lone B
B

CH4
TETRAHEDRAL
109.5°
CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 11
 ELECTRON GEOMETRY
5 total Ba

5 bond
Be
0 lone Be

Be

Ba

PCl5 TRIGONAL BIPYRAMIDAL

120°/90°
CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 12
ELECTRON GEOMETRY
6 total B

6 bond B
B
A
B
B

0 lone B

SF6
OCTAHEDRAL90°
CHM01 – General Chemistry 1 13
EXAMPLES
1. ClF3
2. BeF2
3. SF4
4. SO2
5. CH4

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