All AP Chemistry Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #6 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
For which of the following molecules are the molecular and electronic geometries NOT the same?
SiH4
SO3
PCl3
BeBr2
PCl3
The molecular geometry refers to the shape of the molecule's atoms, while the electronic geometry refers to the shape of the molecule's atoms and lone pair electrons. PCl3 has a trigonal pyramidal molecular geometry and a tetrahedral electronic geometry. All other answers have no lone pairs, and therefore have the same molecular and electronic geometries.
Example Question #7 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
What is the molecular geometry of ammonia (NH3)?
Trigonal pyramidal
Trigonal planar
Tetrahedral
See-saw
Trigonal pyramidal
This answer relies on remembering that ammonia has a lone electron pair in order to fill its valence shell. Without this lone pair, trigonal planar would be correct, however, since this electron pair is present, it repels the three hydrogens further away from a planar configuration. This results in a trigonal pyramidal shape.
Example Question #2 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
Which of the following compounds has an octahedral geometry?
The only answer choice that works is platinum hexafluoride. The platinum molecule is able to bind six fluorine molecules due to the availability of d orbitals in its valence shell. The octahedral shape looks like two pyramids with four sides each that have been stuck together by their bases. We can imagine the platinum at the middle with the six fluorines at each of the vertices of the pyramids. To have the octahedral shape, a molecule must have a central atom and six constituents.
Example Question #9 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
has a trigonal bipyramidal geometry. What are the two bond angles present in ?
In order for the five chlorine atoms around phosphorus to be distanced from one another, they will orient themselves in a trigonal bipyramidal fashion. This results in trigonal planar geometry in the x-axis. There is also one chlorine atom sticking up out of the plane, and one chlorine atom sticking down out of the plane. This results in the chlorine atoms in the trigonal planar geometry being 120o away from each other, and the chlorine atoms in the y-axis being 90o away from the chlorine atoms in the trigional planar geometry.
Example Question #11 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
What is the molecular shape of ?
Octahedral
Trigonal planar
Tetrahedral
Trigonal bipyramidal
Trigonal pyramidal
Trigonal pyramidal
NH3 is trigonal pyramidal because it has 4 electron domains, one of them being a lone pair of electrons and the other three being H atoms. When this is arranged in a three-dimensional space, it is trigonal pyramidal in shape.
Example Question #11 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
What is the bond angle in the following structure?
COH2
CO2H is trigonal planar, so the bond angles will be 120 only.
Example Question #12 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
What is/are the approximate bond angle(s) in the following molecule?
COH2
120
180
90, 120
90, 109.5
109.5
120
COH2:
:O:
||
H—C—H
This is a trigonal planar molecule, which only has bond angles of 120o
Example Question #13 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
Consider the following reactions that lead to the production of dichloromethane, :
What is the Cl-Cl bond angle of the product, dichloromethane?
None of the available answers.
has four bonding regions and no lone pairs, so it has a tetrahedral geometry. The bond angles between all of the bonded atoms is .
Example Question #14 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
What are the flourine-flourine bond angles in ?
has three bonds and one lone pair, so it has a tetrahedral geometry with a trigonal pyramidal shape. Due to its shape, the bond angles are .
Example Question #15 : Vsepr And Bond Hybridization
Which of the following molecules has the largest bond angle between atoms?
In a compound, the atoms (and electron lone pairs) will be as far away from each other as possible due to the repulsive forces between electrons.
Methane will have a tetrahedral geometry with bond angles of 109.5o. Both ammonia and water have lone electron pairs, which will decrease the bond angle between atoms. Water will be bent, while ammonia will be trigonal pyramidal. Bent and trigonal pyramidal are both permutations of tetrahedral, with slightly decreased bond angles.
does not have lone electron pairs and will have a trigonal planar geometry. This results in bond angles of 120o. As a result, has the largest bond angles out of the options.
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