SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

Assignment:
Chemistry

Topic:
Shapes of inorganic molecules

Submitted to:
Prof. Shahbaz Ahmad

Submitted by:
Ayesha Riaz

Program:
BS Chemistry

Session:
2021 – 2025

Semester:
1st (Evening)

University Of Education Lahore, Multan Campus

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SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1 What will be the shape of a molecule which contains two sigma bond pairs and
one lone pair of electrons?
a) linear b) V-shaped c) tetragonal d) triangular
2 What will be the shape of a molecule which contains four bond pairs with one
lone pair of electrons?
a) tetrahedral b) trigonal c) V-shaped d) triangular
3 What will be the shape of a molecule which contains six bond pairs with no lone
pair of electrons?
a) octahedral b) tetrahedral
c) trigonal bipyramidal d) pentagonal bipyramidal
4 Shape of ammonia molecules is:
a) tetrahedral b) octahedral
c) trigonal pyramidal d) monoclinic
5 PCl5 has the structure:
a) tetrahedral b) T-shaped
c) trigonal bipyramidal d) hexagonal
6 H2O has the structure:
a) tetrahedral b) trigonal bipyramidal
c) T-shaped d) square planar
7 SnCl2 has the structure:
a) linear b) V-shaped
c) trigonal pyramidal d) square planar
8 SO2 has the structure:
a) linear b) V-shaped
c) tetrahedral d) plane triangular
−
9 ICl 4 has the structure:
a) tetrahedral b) square planar
c) triangular plane d) V-shaped
10 ClF3 has the structure:
a) T-shaped b) tetrahedral
c) triangular plane d) V-shaped

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

SHORT QUESTIONS
Question No. 1:
Give salient features of Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR)
concept.

Answer:
Following are the features of VSEPR theory:

i. The preferred arrangement of a given number of electron pairs in the valance

shell is that which makes them to remain at a maximum distance apart.
ii. A non-bonding pair of electrons is capable of making more space on the surface
of an atom than a bonding pair.
iii. The influence of a bonding electron pair decreases with the increasing value of
electronegativity of an atom forming a molecule.
iv. The two electron pairs of a double bond take up more space than the one
electron pair of a single bond.

Question No. 2:
How does Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) concept explain the
shapes of molecules containing two electron pairs?

Answer:
Several molecules and ions have a central atom and two atoms of another
element. There are no lone pairs on the central atom. Such molecules are abbreviated
as AB2. Its examples are BeCl2, BeBr2, BeI2 and CO2 and CdX2 and HgX2. Nitronium
ion NO2+ is a polyatomic ion of this category. These entire have linear (bond angle =
180◦).

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

Question No. 3:
How does Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) concept explain the
shapes of molecules containing three electron pairs?

Answer:
Three covalent bonds are expected. The electron pairs of these three bonds are
arranged at the greatest possible distances from one another. Its examples are BF 3,
SnCl2, etc.

Question No. 4:
How does Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) concept explain the
shapes of molecules containing four electron pairs?

Answer:
The electrostatic repulsion between four pairs of electrons is minimum when
these are situated at the corners of a regular tetrahedron, e.g., CH4, TiCl4 etc.

Question No. 5:
How does Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) concept explain the
shapes of molecules containing five electron pairs?

Answer:

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

With the increasing number of electron pairs it becomes increasingly difficult to

visualize the true shapes of the molecules. Thus a central atom containing five electron
pairs presents a more complicated system e.g., PCl5, ClF3, etc.

Question No. 6:
How does Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) concept explain the
shapes of molecules containing six electron pairs?

Answer:
Molecules, in which the central atom has six electron pair bonds, adopt the
octahedral structure. The examples of such type of molecules or ions are SF 6, MoF6−,
PCl6− etc.

Question No. 7:
Explain the shapes of molecules containing double and triple bonds.

Answer:
The molecules containing double and triple bonds have the bond and -bond
characters. However, the shape of the molecules containing double and triple bonds
are determined only by the pairs of electrons forming bonds. Its examples are C2H4,
COCl2, CO2, HCN, SO2Cl2, etc.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

Question No. 8:
Explain the shapes of molecules containing double bonds and lone pairs.

Answer:
Molecules which contains double bonds as well the lone pair of electrons have
strong tendency to distortions. However, the shapes of such molecules depend mostly
on the number of bond pairs and lone pairs. Its examples are NOCl, SO2, SOCl2, etc.

LONG QUESTIONS
Question No. 1:
Why does AlCl3 exist as Al2Cl6 molecules? Discuss the shape of its molecules.

Answer:
In AlCl3, Al has only six electrons in its valence shell, thus it behaves as an
electron-deficient compound. To complete its octet, Al needs two more electrons. To
do so, it accepts a pair of electron from Cl atom of another AlCl3 molecule. As a
result, it exists as a dimer.

Al₂Cl₆ is more stable than AlCl₃ because it is a dimer.

 In case of AlCl₃, one Al atom is bonded to three Cl atoms.

 Al₂Cl₆ has two Al atoms; each bonded to four Cl atoms. This can happen
because Al has vacant d-orbitals which can accommodate electrons from Cl.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

 There are two interior Cl atoms, each bonded to two Al atoms and there are two
exterior Cl atoms, each bonded to one Al atom.

Shapes of molecule of Al2Cl6:

In Al2Cl6, each Al will have 4 electron regions (tetrahedral) and 4 bonds so
bonding around each Al is tetrahedral. The shape of the molecule is like a dimer. The
bonding in aluminum chloride ought to be considered largely ionic. The
electronegativity of Al is 1.47 and 2.83 for Cl. Molecular orbitals and covalent
bonding can be added for a fuller picture of electron densities.

Question No. 2:
What type of geometry may be predicted for a molecule containing two -bond
pairs and one lone pair of electrons? Discuss the structure of SnCl2 in light of Valence
Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) concept.

Answer:
Bent, angular or V-shaped geometry may be predicted for a molecule containing
two -bond pairs and one lone pair of electrons.

Structure of SnCl2:
In case of stannous chloride SnCl2, Sn has valence electrons 5s2 5p2. Two
electrons present in 5s orbitals remain non-bonding and do not take part in bond
formation. The two electrons in 5p orbitals remain unpaired and form two covalent
bonds by interaction with chlorine atoms. The lone pair of electrons present in
stannous chloride molecule occupies one corner of the triangle.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

The other two corners of the triangle are occupied by two bond pairs. The lone
pair of electrons exerts a greater repulsion on the bond pairs resulting in the shortening
of Cl-Sn-Cl angle. Thus the effective molecular shape in the vapour phase of SnCl 2 is
V-shaped and arrangement is called angular.

Question No. 3:
Discuss the influence of double and triple bonds on the shapes of molecules.

Answer:
The molecules containing double and triple bonds have almost similar shapes as
those represented by corresponding single bonds. The double and triple bonds have the
bond and -bond characters. However, the shape of the molecules containing double
and triple bonds are determined only by the pairs of electrons forming bonds. The
effect of -bonds is ignored because of their superimposition on the -bond pairs.

Examples:
1. Ethylene:
Ethylene molecule has a plane triangular shape with the two carbon atoms
placed at two centers of the two triangles joined by a double bond. The reason for such
type of molecular symmetry is that -bond pairs are situated along a plane triangle.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

2. COCl2:
COCl2 has a planar triangular shape.

3. CO2:
The linear structure of CO2 is explained on the basis of two -bond pairs at an
angle of 180º which show minimum repulsive interactions in this direction.

4. HCN:
HCN molecule has a linear structure because it has two -bond pairs which
adjust themselves at an angle of 180º to have minimum repulsive interactions.

Question No. 4:
Predict the shape of the following on the basis of electron pair repulsion theory:

N2O:
N2O molecular geometry is a linear shape with a bond angle of 180º.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

CCl4:
CCl4 has no lone pairs on the central carbon and is therefore of tetrahedral
geometry.

XeF4:
The shape of XeF4 is square planar or square pyramidal and structure is
octahedral with sp3 d2 -hybridization.

PbCl2:
It has two bond pairs and one lone pair therefore its geometry is trigonal planer
but the shape is V-Shape (angular) or bent.

SnCl2:
The structure of SnCl2 is a trigonal pyramidal shape or we can say that V
shape due to the presence of a lone pair of electrons based on VSEPR theory.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

PF5:
Phosphorus pentafluoride has 5 regions of electron density around the central
phosphorus atom (5 bonds, no lone pairs). The resulting shape is a trigonal
bipyramidal in which three fluorine atoms occupy equatorial and two occupy axial
positions.

H2S:
The molecular geometry of H2S is bent and the electron geometry
is tetrahedral.

SeF6:
The molecular geometry of SeF6 is octahedral with symmetric charge
distribution on the central atom.

Question No. 5:
What shape may be assigned to SO2 and SO3? Why SO3 has zero dipole
moment? Comment with respect to its structure.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

Answer:
Shape of SO2:
Sulphur dioxide is a toxic gas that can cause respiratory health problems. This is
a colorless inorganic gas but has a weak acid solution when mixed with water.
Normally, this originates from volcanic activities or produces as by-products to extract
copper and incinerating fossil fuels that are sulphur-bearing.

A sulfur atom on the outer level has six electrons, and four are used by Oxygen
for each bond that leaves a total number of ten electrons in five pairs. SO2 molecular
geometry is considered to V-shaped or bent. Alternatively, the electron geometry of
sulphur dioxide is in the shape of a trigonal planar. The three pairs of bonding
electrons lie at an angle of 119o. Two double pairs are bonded together and there is
one lone pair as well which further gives it a bent shape. It is a polar molecule due to
the presence of lone pair of electrons.

Shape of SO3:
Sulphur trioxide is the chemical compound with the formula SO3. It has been
described as "unquestionably the most important economically" sulphur oxide. It is
prepared on an industrial scale as a precursor to sulfuric acid.

Sulphur trioxide exists in several forms gaseous monomer, crystalline trimer,

and solid polymer. Sulphur trioxide is a solid at just below room temperature with a
relatively narrow liquid range. Gaseous SO3 is the primary precursor to acid rain.

According to the valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory, the
structure of sulphur trioxide (SO3) is found to be bent shaped or trigonal pyramidal
or trigonal planar, where the bond angle is 120°.

As the equal double bond is formed between each oxygen and sulphur atom and
no lone pair exists on the central atom (sulphur), there is no distortion in the bond
angle. It is a non-polar molecule because there is no lone pair of electrons is present
and all bonding atoms have same electronegativity difference.

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 SHAPES OF INORGANIC MOLECULES

Dipole moment of SO3:

SO3 is a planar molecule with three bond angles 120 degrees apart.
The individual dipole moments of S-O bond cancel out each other due to which the
dipole moment of SO3 molecule is zero.

Question No. 6:
Describe the general effect of lone pair of electrons on the shapes of molecules.

Answer:
Lone pairs of electrons are held in their position by the protons in the nucleus of
the atom on which are found. Contrast this with bond pairs of electrons which are held
in their position by the protons in atoms in which they are shared.

As such, lone pairs of electrons are able to “move” more freely and occupy a
larger region of space compared to bond pairs of electrons. As like charges repel, the
lone pairs of electrons force the bond pairs of electrons closer to each other and this
results in a smaller bond angle within the molecule.

The usual molecules used to illustrate this are CH4, NH3 and H2O.

 CH4 has 4 bond pairs and 0 lone pairs of electrons and has a bond angle of
109.5°.

 NH3 has 3 bond pairs and 1 lone pair of electrons and has a bond angle of 107°.

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 H2O has 2 bond pairs and 2 lone pairs of electrons and has a bond angle of
104.5°.

It can be seen that the increase in the number of lone pairs of electrons results in the
decrease in the bond angle.

Question No. 7:
Discuss the principles underlying the valence shell electron pair repulsion
concept. What are the applications of this theory in determining the shapes of the
molecules?

Answer:
Principles of VSEPR theory:
Following are the principle which underlying the valence shell electron pair
repulsion (VSEPR) concept:

1. The -bond pairs and lone pairs of electrons present in a molecule arrange
themselves in such a manner that repulsion between them is minimized.
2. The lone pair-lone pair repulsive interaction is much greater than bond pair-
bond pair repulsion so as to give maximum distortion.
3. Lone pair-bond pair distortion is also possible and plays important role in
distortion.
4. The repulsion of a double bond pair with another double bond pair is more than
the repulsion between single bond pairs or a double bond pair with a single
bond.
5. Repulsion between bond pairs is influenced by the electronegativity of atoms
forming the bonds. The repulsion decreases with the increase in
electronegativity values.
6. Generally, -bond pairs of electrons do not determine the shapes of the
molecules.

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Application of VSEPR theory:

Following are the applications of VSEPR theory in determining the shapes of
the molecules:

 The VSEPR theory can be applied to each resonance structure of a molecule.

The strength of the repulsion is strongest in two lone pairs and weakest in two
bond pairs. If electron pairs around the central atom are closer to each other,
they will repel each other.
 Valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory is used in chemistry to
predict the three-dimensional shapes of molecules from the number of electron
pairs surrounding their central atoms.
 The valence shell electron-pair repulsion theory (abbreviated VSEPR) is
commonly used to predict molecular geometry of molecules and ions of non-
transition elements. The theory says that repulsion among the pairs of electrons
on a central atom (whether bonding or non-bonding electron pairs) will control
the geometry of the molecule.

Question No. 8:
The presence of -bonds is generally ignored in determining the shapes of
molecules. Why?

Answer:
The molecules containing double and triple bonds have almost similar shapes as
those represented by corresponding single bonds. The double and triple bonds have the
bond and -bond characters. However, the shape of the molecules containing double
and triple bonds are determined only by the pairs of electrons forming bonds.

The effect of -bonds is ignored because of their superimposition on the -bond

pairs. -bonds essentially orthogonal to the σ bond skeleton, and are substantially
weaker. Moreover, π-bonds do not exist in isolation (any π bond between two given
atoms is always formed secondarily to the σ-bond between those atoms). As such, π-
bonds do not alter the basic idealized geometry of a molecule as dictated by σ-bond.

Examples:
Following are some examples which show that the presence of -bonds is
generally ignored in determining the shapes of molecules:

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1. Ethylene:
Ethylene molecule has a plane triangular shape with the two carbon atoms
placed at two centers of the two triangles joined by a double bond. The reason for such
type of molecular symmetry is that -bond pairs are situated along a plane triangle.

2. COCl2:
COCl2 has a planar triangular shape.

3. CO2:
The linear structure of CO2 is explained on the basis of two -bond pairs at an
angle of 180º which show minimum repulsive interactions in this direction.

4. HCN:
HCN molecule has a linear structure because it has two -bond pairs which
adjust themselves at an angle of 180º to have minimum repulsive interactions.

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Question No. 9:
Discuss shapes of molecules containing four -bond pairs. How is the change in
symmetry brought about by the presence of lone pairs?

Answer:
Shapes of molecules containing four -bond pairs (AB4):
The electrostatic repulsion between four pairs of electrons is minimum when
these are situated at the corners of a regular tetrahedron. In this case the central atom
of a molecule is bounded to four other atoms. There is no lone pair of electrons on it.
The molecular geometry is tetrahedral. Its examples are CH4, CCl4, CF4, and SiF4.
The Group IVA elements share their four electrons with four other atoms.

Examples:
Its examples are:

a) Methane (CH4) and carbon tetra fluoride (CF4)

Lewis structures of CH4 and CF4 are:

The central carbon atoms in both molecules have four bonding electron pairs.
This gives maximum separation. Therefore, VSEPR theory predicts tetrahedral
geometry. The four H atoms in CH4 and four F atom in CF4 are present at the corners
of tetrahedron. The H-C-H bond angles are all 109.28º.

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b) Ammonium ion (NH4+), Sulphate ion (SO42‾) and Perchlorate ion

(ClO4‾)
Their lewis structures are as fellows:

Each has four bonding pair of electrons. These electron pairs are directed to the
corners of regular tetrahedron. It gives them maximum separation from each other.
Thus NH4+, SO42‾ and ClO4‾ have tetrahedral ionic geometry.

Change in symmetry due to the presence of lone pair:

Lone pairs of electrons are held in their position by the protons in the nucleus of
the atom on which are found. Contrast this with bond pairs of electrons which are held
in their position by the protons in atoms in which they are shared.

As such, lone pairs of electrons are able to “move” more freely and occupy a
larger region of space compared to bond pairs of electrons. As like charges repel, the
lone pairs of electrons force the bond pairs of electrons closer to each other and this
results in a smaller bond angle within the molecule.

The usual molecules used to illustrate this are CH4, NH3 and H2O.

 CH4 has 4 bond pairs and 0 lone pairs of electrons and has a bond angle of
109.5°.

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 NH3 has 3 bond pairs and 1 lone pair of electrons and has a bond angle of 107°.

 H2O has 2 bond pairs and 2 lone pairs of electrons and has a bond angle of
104.5°.

It can be seen that the increase in the number of lone pairs of electrons results in the
decrease in the bond angle.

Question No. 10:

Discuss the shapes of molecules containing six electron pairs. How the
distortion in molecules is brought about by the addition of lone pair of electrons?

Answer:
Shapes of molecules containing six electron pairs:
There are six type of molecules which contain six electron pairs, as follows:

1. AB6
2. AB5E
3. AB4E2

1. AB6:
In this case, the central atom of a molecule is surrounded only by six bonding
electron pairs. It has no lone pair. Geometry of its molecule is octahedral.

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Examples:
Its examples are halides of group VIA elements with +6 oxidation state.

Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

 According to Lewis structure, it has six bond pairs around central S atom.

 The octahedron VSEPR model predicts octahedral geometry. There is

maximum possible separation for six F atoms surrounding one S atom.
Therefore, F atoms are present at corners and S atom is in the center of a regular
octahedron. Thus the repulsion of the six electron pairs is minimized in this
arrangement.
 An octahedron is a regular solid figure. Its corners are all identical. Therefore,
all bonds and all F atoms are equivalent in SF6. The F-S-F bond angles are 90º
or 180º.

2. AB5E:
In this case, the central atom is surrounded by six electron pairs. One of them is
lone pair. The molecule adopts the shape of a square pyramid.

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Examples:
Its examples are BrF5, IF5 and SbCl52−. They conatin one lone pair and adopt
square pyramidal geometry.

Iodine pentafluoride (IF5)

There is a lone pair on iodine in IF5. It occupies one of the six equivalent
positions in the octahedral arrangement. Thus it gives a square pyramidal geometry.

3. AB4E2:
In this case, the central atom of molecule is surrounded by six electron pairs.
Two of them are lone pairs. These lone pairs are placed on opposite sides of the
molecule. It gives a square planar shape.

Examples:
Its examples are ICl4‾, BrF4‾, XeF4 etc.

Xenon tetrafluoride (XeF4)

Xe has two lone pairs. These pairs occupy opposing positions in octahedral
arrangement. It minimizes their repulsion. Thus it has square planar geometry.

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Lone pairs of electrons are held in their position by the protons in the nucleus of
the atom on which are found. Contrast this with bond pairs of electrons which are held
in their position by the protons in atoms in which they are shared.

As such, lone pairs of electrons are able to “move” more freely and occupy a
larger region of space compared to bond pairs of electrons. As like charges repel, the
lone pairs of electrons force the bond pairs of electrons closer to each other and this
results in a smaller bond angle within the molecule. In this way, the distortion in
molecules is brought about by the addition of lone pair of electrons.

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