Shapes of Molecules Flashcards
What are bond angles?
- The angle between any two bonds on a molecule (not between lone pairs.)
Why do molecules have specific shapes with specific bond angles?
- Bonds repel each other equally (without any lone pairs) because they all contain negative electrons that repel one another (want to be as far apart as possible.)
Why do lone pairs of electrons repel more strongly than bonding pairs of electrons?
- Because they are more compact.
Give the order of repulsion between bonding pairs/ lone pairs in a molecule.
lp- lp > bp -lp > bp -bp
Bonding pairs and lone pairs are …… …….. that repel each other.
- Charge.
- Clouds.
How do pairs of electrons in outer shells of atoms arrange themselves?
- Pairs of electrons in outer shells of atoms arrange themselves as far apart as possible to minimise repulsion.
What is the shape of a molecule determined by?
- Determined by the number of electron pairs on the central atom (central atom TENDS to be first atom in the formula of molecule - but, this isn’t always the case.)
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What do lone pairs do to the shape of molecules?
- Lone pairs push bonding pairs closer together (repel the bonding pairs away from itself strongly.)
- GENERALLY (not all the time), for every lone pair you add to molecule, you reduce the remaining bond angles by 2.5 degrees.
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If you are asked to determine shape of molecule that is an ion, what would you do?
- Add/ remove electrons FROM THE CENTRAL ATOM and then continue with your drawing.
What is the shape of molecule that has 2bp, no lone pairs. What is the bond angle? Give example of molecule with this shape.
- SHAPE: Linear.
- Bond angle: 180⁰
- BeCl₂: any central atom that has 2 electrons on outer shell (no lone pairs!!)/ bonded to group 7 atoms/ hydrogen (to donate 1 electron.)
What is the shape of molecule that has 3bp, no lone pairs. What is the bond angle? Give example of molecule with this shape?
- Trigonal planar (flat molecule.)
- 120⁰
- Example: BF₃/ any central atom that has 3 electrons on outer shell (no lone pairs!) / bonded to group 7 atoms/ hydrogen (to donate one electron.)
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What is the shape of molecule that has 4bp, no lone pairs. What is the bond angle? Give an example of molecule with this shape?
- Tetrahedral: 3D shape.
- 109.5⁰
- Example: CH₄/ any central atom that has 4 electrons on outer shell (no lone pairs!) - bonded to either group 7 atoms/ hydrogen (to donate 1 electron.)
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What is structure of tetrehedral molecule?
- 3D structure.
- 1 bond coming towards you and one bond going away from you.
- Atom/ bond coming towards you represented by wedges.
- Atom/ bond going away from you represented by dotted line.
If we see a wedge/ dotted line on a shapes drawing, what does this mean?
- Molecule is 3D.
- Wedge: part of molecule coming towards you.
- Dotted line: part of molecule going away from you.
What is the shape of molecule that has 5bp, no lone pairs. What are the bond angles?
- Trigonal bypyrimidal - one wedged line and one dotted line.
- 90⁰ and 120⁰ (trigonal planar set up is in horizontal plane with vertical axis in vertical plane. Any vertical bond will hit ANY horizontal bond at 90⁰/ angle between bonds in trigonal planar will be 120.)