General

Chemistry 1 11
General Chemistry 1 – Grade 11
Quarter 2 – Module 5: Molecular Geometry
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in
any work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the
government agency or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for
exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office may, among other things,
impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand

names, trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective
copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use
these materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors
do not represent nor claim ownership over them.

Published by the Department of Education Division of Pasig City

Development Team of the Self-Learning Module

Writer: Roanna A. Cabigting

Editor: Ma. Victoria G. Señase
Reviewer: Ma. Victoria G. Señase
Illustrator: Edison P. Clet
Layout Artist: Mark Kihm G. Lara
Management Team: Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin
OIC-Schools Division Superintendent
Aurelio G. Alfonso EdD
OIC-Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Victor M. Javeña EdD
Chief, School Governance and Operations Division and
OIC-Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division

Education Program Supervisors

Librada L. Agon EdD (EPP/TLE/TVL/TVE)

Liza A. Alvarez (Science/STEM/SSP)
Bernard R. Balitao (AP/HUMSS)
Joselito E. Calios (English/SPFL/GAS)
Norlyn D. Conde EdD (MAPEH/SPA/SPS/HOPE/A&D/Sports)
Wilma Q. Del Rosario (LRMS/ADM)
Ma. Teresita E. Herrera EdD (Filipino/GAS/Piling Larang)
Perlita M. Ignacio PhD (EsP)
Dulce O. Santos PhD (Kindergarten/MTB-MLE)
Teresita P. Tagulao EdD (Mathematics/ABM)

Printed in the Philippines by Department of Education – Schools Division of

Pasig City
 General
Chemistry 1 11
Quarter 2
Self-Learning Module 5
Molecular Geometry
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Chemistry 1 Self-Learning Module 5 on Molecular Geometry

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
 For the Learner:

Welcome to the Chemistry 1 Self-Learning Module 5 on Molecular Geometry

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest – This measures how much you have learned from the
 EXPECTATIONS

The module is about Molecular Geometry. After going through this module,
you are expected to:

1. state the valence shell electron pair repulsion theory

2. describe the geometry of simple compounds
3. understand the importance of knowing the geometry of simple compounds

PRETEST

1. Which statement correctly describes the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion
Theory?
a. The valence shell electron pairs are the lone pairs of the atom.
b. The valence shell electrons are given by the group number in the periodic
table.
c. The valence shell electron pairs repel one another and tend to stay as far
apart as possible.
d. The valence shell electrons are the outermost electrons of the atom that
are involved in bonding.

2. If there are 5 five electron pairs around the central atom of a molecule, these
electron pairs are in a _____________ arrangement.
a. Linear c. Trigonal planar
b. Tetrahedral d. Trigonal bipyramidal

3. The geometry of the molecule NF3 is __________.

a. Bent c. Tetrahedral
b. Linear d. Trigonal pyramidal

4. Which of the following species will exhibit tetrahedral geometry?

a. O3 c. PCl5
b. CCl4 d. CO3-2

5. It is important to know the geometry of a molecule because the geometry

____________.
a. gives the Lewis structure of the molecule
b. shows how the molecule looks like in 2D
c. determines whether the molecule is ionic or covalent
d. affects the physical and chemical properties of the substance
 RECAP
Recall the concept of writing the Lewis structure of ions and compounds by placing
the steps in the correct order. Use letters for sequencing.

➢ Indicate the formal charges of the atoms.

➢ Draw the skeleton structure of the molecule.
➢ Determine the total number of valence electrons.
➢ Satisfy the Octet rule by distributing the remaining electrons.

LESSON

In the previous module, you learned how to write the Lewis structure of
compounds. Although Lewis structure shows how atoms bond, it is limited to a two-
dimensional representation of the molecule and does not show arrangement of atoms
and bonds in 3D space.

The 3D arrangement of the atoms in a molecule is usually defined by the relative

locations of atoms and lone pairs surrounding a central atom. These arrangements
usually resemble common geometric figures. These arrangements of atoms and
bonds in a molecule can be explained by the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion
Theory or VSEPR Model.

VSEPR model states that a molecule will adjust its shape so that the valence electron
pairs (these can either be a bonding pair or a lone pair) stay as far apart from each
other as possible. This makes sense, based on the fact that negatively charged
electrons repel one another.

Molecular Geometries
The geometry followed by a molecule is dependent on the total number of groups
surrounding the central atom. These groups include atoms attached to the central
atom with bonding electron pairs or lone pairs of the central atom. The bonding
electron pairs and lone pairs are made up of the central atom’s valence electrons.

Steps to find the shape of the molecule:

1. Draw the Lewis structure.
2. Count the number of electron groups and identify them as bond pairs of
electron groups or lone pairs of electrons.
3. Name the electron-group geometry
4. Looking at the positions of other atomic nuclei around the central determine
the molecular geometry. (See how many lone pairs there are.)
You can also determine the molecular geometry of the compound by taking note of
its VSEPR notation. This notation is represented by the following letters: AXE. A
represents the central atom; X represents the number of bonded electrons or the
number of atoms attached to the central atom and E represents the number of lone
pairs in the central atom (in some references, the AXE notation can be referred as
ABE).

Below is the summary of the electron-group and different molecular geometries.

Let’s have an example. Determine the molecular geometry of H 2O.

Step 1: Draw the Lewis structure of the compound.

Step 2: Count the number of electron groups.

Electrons groups can either be bonding pair or lone pairs that are found in
the central atom. In H2O, there are four electron groups: 2 bonding pairs and
2 lone pairs.

Step 3: Name the electron-group geometry.

Based on the information, the H 2O molecules have four electron groups.

Therefore, its electron-group geometry is tetrahedral.

Step 4: Determine the molecular geometry.

Identify if there are lone pairs present in the molecules. In this case, H 2O has
two lone pairs. Considering this, the molecular geometry of H2O is bent.
The another way to identify its molecular geometry is by using the VSEPR notation.
After writing the Lewis structure of the compound, you can use the notation to
identify its molecular geometry by looking at the table presented above.

The H2O molecule has 2 bonding electron pairs and 2 lone pairs. Therefore, its
VSEPR notation is AX2E2. The molecular geometry with that notation is bent.

Knowing the molecular geometry, we can rewrite the Lewis structure so that it
satisfies the shape of the molecule. H 2O should look like this:

Let’s have another example, identify the molecular geometry of NH 3.

The Lewis structure for NH3 is written below:

Based on this, you can see that there are 3 bonding pairs and 1 lone pair in NH3. Its
VSEPR notation therefore is AX3E.

The molecular geometry with such notation is trigonal pyramidal. Rearranging the
Lewis structure, NH3 molecule should look like this:

Notice the different ways the bond between N and H are represented?
The line denotes that the bond is situated in a plane along with the
central atom. If the bond is a black wedge, this means that the bond
is coming towards you, while the dashed wedge is for bond that extend
back behind the surface.

Knowing the molecular geometry of a compounds can help determine some of its
physical and chemical properties. An example of this property is the polarity of the
compound. Understanding molecular geometry also helps scientist to understand
the shapes of more complex molecules such as proteins and DNA. The shapes of
these molecules play incredibly important roles in determining the jobs performed
by these molecules in our bodies.
 ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1
Fill in the blanks by supplying the correct term or phrase to make the statements
correct.
1. __________ of a compound gives us a 2D representation of how atoms are
bonded.
2. Molecular geometries of a compound in a 3D space can be explained by
__________.
3. The geometry followed by a molecule depends on the number of groups
surrounding the __________.
4. Electron groups in the VSEPR model can be identified either as a bonding
pair or a __________.
5. A model with 4 electron groups assumes the __________ electron-group
geometry.

ACTIVITY 2

Complete the table by supplying the necessary information.

Lewis Structure / VSEPR Electron Group Molecular

Molecule
Model Geometry Geometry
BF3

CO2

SeCl4

ICl4-

BrF5

WRAP–UP

To summarize the lesson, identify the factors that affect the shape of a molecule.
 VALUING

According to VSEPR theory, electron groups in a molecule will position themselves

so that they are as far away from one another as possible. In our community today,
one of the rules that needs to be followed is the “social distancing”. What do you
mean by this? Give at least three benefits why this rule should be followed by
everyone.

POST TEST

1. According to VSEPR model, electron groups around the central atom of a

molecule repel each other. Which of the following is an example of an electron
group in a VSEPR model?
a. bonding pairs c. all electrons in the outer shell
b. electrons in lower shells d. lone pairs in the attached atoms

2. All the geometries listed below are examples of electron group geometry except
____________.
a. bent c. octahedral
b. linear d. trigonal planar

3. Applying the concept of VSEPR model, what is the molecular geometry of PH 3?

a. linear c. trigonal planar
b. see-saw d. trigonal pyramidal

4. The geometry of ClF3 molecule is best described as ___________.

a. linear c. see-saw
b. t-shaped d. octahedral

5. The following are the information that the molecular geometry can give about a
compound except ___________.
a. polarity c. bond formation
b. conduction d. shape of molecule
 KEY TO CORRECTION

Pre-Test
1. C 2. D 3. D 4. B 5. D

Recap

1. D 2. B 3. A 4. C

Activity 1
1. Lewis structure 2. VSEPR Theory / VSEPR Model
3. Central atom 4. Lone pair 5. Tetrahedral

Activity 2

Post Test
1. A 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. B
 REFERENCES
CK-12. “Molecular Geometry.” CK-12 Foundation 2020. Accessed August 20, 2020
https://www.ck12.org/book/ck-12-chemistry-intermediate/section/9.2/

Craven, Richard and Robb, Amanda. “Molecular Geometry: Definition and

Examples.” Study.com. Accessed August 20, 2020
https://study.com/academy/lesson/molecular-geometry-definition-examples.html

Ilao, Luciano V., Lontoc, Betty M., and Paderna Gayon, Edwehna Elinore S. General
Chemistry 1. Manila City, Rex Bookstore Inc., 2016

Quiming, Noel and Sacramento, Jireh Joy. General Chemistry 1. Quezon City, Vibal
Group Inc., 2016

“Geometry of Molecules.” LibreTexts. Accessed August 20, 2020

https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Tex
tbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Chemi
cal_Bonding/Lewis_Theory_of_Bonding/Geometry_of_Molecules

“Molecular Geometry.” Boundless Chemistry. Accessed August 20, 2020

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-chemistry/chapter/molecular-
geometry/

“Molecular Geometry.” Accessed August 20, 2020

http://intro.chem.okstate.edu/1314F00/Lecture/Chapter10/VSEPR.html