Shapes of Molecules: David Read

Shapes of Molecules
David Read
Key Aims
• Revise A-level VSEPR theory.

• Prepare for Phil Gale’s lectures
on symmetry, isomers, NMR
etc.
Warm-up:
How many different molecular
shapes can you think of?
Give an example for each shape

and sketch the structure.
How many shapes did you identify?
A. 4 25%
B. 5 20% 20%
C. 6 18%
D. 7
E. 8
F. 9 7% 7%
G. 10 2%
H. >10 0%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0
>1
Underlying principle
(see Shriver & Atkins)
• In the VSEPR model, electron
regions
of enhanced
pairs take up electron
positionsdensity
as far
take up
apart aspositions
possible.as far apart as
possible.
• EPs can be bonding pairs
(BPs) or lone pairs (LPs).
How confident do you feel about
using VSEPR to determine shapes?
58%
1. It’s a doddle!
2. OK, but need to revise it a bit.

27%
3. Not too confident.

9%
4%
4. I don’t remember much. 2%
It’s a doddle!
Not too confident.
I don’t remember
OK, but need to
I don’t remember this

revise it a bit.
5. I don’t remember this at all!
much.
at all!
Step-by-step
1. Write a Lewis dot structure for the molecule.
* A Lewis dot structure is like a dot-and-cross
* diagram that only uses dots.
e.g. methane
C – 4 valence electrons
All 4 valence electrons on

H – 1 valence electron C pair up with an electron
from an H atom, forming 4
bonds.
Step-by-step
2. Count the number of atoms and lone pairs
around the central atom.
e.g.
4 atoms around carbon,
and no lone pairs.
4 regions of electron
density to distribute.
Step-by-step
3. Work out how the regions of high electron
density will be arranged around the central
atom:
2 Regions – Linear
3 Regions – Trigonal planar
4 Regions – Tetrahedral
5 Regions – Trigonal bipyramidal
6 Regions – Octahedral
Step-by-step
4. Draw the structure and label bond angles.
109.5º
Tetrahedral
Step-by-step
4. Draw the structure and label bond angles.
109.5º
Tetrahedral
Try one yourself…
What is the shape of a PF5 molecule?
• Lewis structure 
• Count e- pairs around central atom  5
• How many lone pairs are there?  0
• Draw structure and label bond angles.
Press any button on your
handset when you have
completed the task.
PF5
The 5 bonding pairs will take up a trigonal
bipyramidal arrangement:
PF5
The 5 bonding pairs will take up a trigonal
bipyramidal arrangement:
What is the shape of BeH2 ?
1. Tetrahedral
2. Trigonal pyramidal 3%3% 14%
6%
3. Linear
75%
4. V-shaped
5. Octahedral Tetrahedral
Linear
Trigonal pyramidal
V-shaped
Octahedral
Beryllium hydride
• Be – 2 valence electrons
• 2 bonds formed to H atoms
• Linear molecule
180º
What is the shape of BF3 ?
1. Tetrahedral
2. Trigonal planar 0%6%
3. Linear
94%
4. V-shaped
5. Octahedral Tetrahedral Trigonal planar Linear
V-shaped Octahedral
Boron trifluoride
• B – 3 valence electrons
• 3 bonds formed to F atoms
• Trigonal planar molecule
120º
What is the shape of SF6 ?
1. Tetrahedral
2. Trigonal pyramidal 0%
3%
0%
3. Linear
97%
4. V-shaped
5. Octahedral Tetrahedral
Linear
Trigonal pyramidal
V-shaped
Octahedral
Sulphur hexafluoride
• S – 6 valence electrons
• Octahedral molecule
90º
What about lone pairs?
Which statement is correct?
1. Repulsion due to bonding
pairs is greater than
repulsion due to lone pairs. 14%
5%
2. Repulsion due to bonding
pairs is the same as
81%
repulsion due to lone pairs.
3. Repulsion due to lone pairs
A B C
is greater than repulsion
due to bonding pairs.
Step-by-step
1. Write a Lewis structure for the molecule.
e.g. water
O – 6 valence electrons
H – 1 valence electron 2 of oxygen’s 6 valence

electrons pair up with an
electron from an H atom,
forming 2 bonds. The
remaining valence
electrons make up 2 LPs.
Step-by-step
2. Count the number of bonds and lone pairs
around the central atom.
e.g. Water
2 bonds and 2 LPs
4 regions of
electron density
to distribute
Step-by-step
3. Work out how the electron regions will be
arranged around the central atom:
2 Regions – Linear
3 Regions – Trigonal planar
4 Regions – Tetrahedral
5 Regions – Trigonal bipyramidal
6 Regions – Octahedral
Step-by-step
4. Deduce the shape of the molecule based on
the arrangement of atoms (not including LPs)
Step-by-step
5. Draw the structure.
What about the bond angle?

Methane, ammonia and water
4 bonds, 0 lone pairs 3 bonds, 1 lone pair 2 bonds, 2 lone pairs
Tetrahedral Trigonal pyramidal Bent (v-shaped)
Bond angle = 109.5º
This is the ideal tetrahedral angle

What’s the bond angle in water?
A. 109.5º
B. 108º 7% 7%
C. 104.5º
86%
109.5º 108º 104.5º

What’s the bond angle in
ammonia?
A. 109.5º
B. 108º
5% 8%
C. 104.5º
88%
109.5º 108º 104.5º

Methane, ammonia and water
4 bonds, 0 lone pairs 3 bonds, 1 lone pair 2 bonds, 2 lone pairs
Tetrahedral Trigonal pyramidal Bent (v-shaped)
Bond angle = 109.5º Bond angle = 108º Bond angle = 104.5º
One lone pair reduces the bond angle slightly
Two lone pairs reduce the bond angle more

Try another one yourself…
What is the shape of a XeF4 molecule?
• Count e- regions around central atom  6
completed the task.
Xenon tetrafluoride
• Xe – 8 valence electrons
• 4 electrons left = 2 LPs
• 6 regions  octahedral
• 4 regions are bonds 

Square planar molecule
Xenon tetrafluoride
• Xe – 8 valence electrons
• 4 electrons left = 2 LPs
• 6 regions  octahedral
• 4 regions are bonds 

Square planar molecule
Bond angle = 90º

What about double bonds?
Carbon dioxide
• C – 4 valence electrons
• 2 double bonds formed to O atoms

(all valence electrons used in bonds)
• 0 lone pairs
• 2 regions (both are bonds) 

Linear molecule
Carbon dioxide
• C – 4 valence electrons

(all valence electrons used in bonds)
• 0 lone pairs
• 2 regions (both are bonds) 

Linear molecule
Try another one yourself…
What is the shape of a SO2 molecule?
• Count e- regions around central atom  3

completed the task.
What is the shape of SO2 ?
1. Tetrahedral
2. Trigonal pyramidal
3. Linear
4. V-shaped
5. Octahedral
Sulphur dioxide
• S – 6 valence electrons

(4 valence electrons used in bonds)
• 2 electrons left  1 lone pair
• 3 regions  trigonal planar
• 2 bonds to atoms  v-shaped

Linear molecule
Challenge…
What are the shapes of IF7 and IF5 molecules?
Challenge…
Pentagonal bipyramidal
Challenge…
Pentagonal bipyramidal Square pyramidal

How confident do you feel about
using VSEPR to determine shapes?
64%
1. It’s a doddle!
2. OK, but need to revise it a bit.

27%
3. Not too confident.
5%
4. I don’t remember much. 2% 2%
It’s a doddle!
Not too confident.
I don’t remember
OK, but need to
I don’t remember this

revise it a bit.
5. I don’t remember this at all!
much.
at all!
How useful did you find the zapper
session?
1. Very Useful
2. Quite useful
2%
0%
0%
3. No view either way 44%
53%
4. Not very useful
5. Waste of time Very Useful Quite useful
No view either way Not very useful
Waste of time

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Shapes of Molecules

• Revise A-level VSEPR theory.

Give an example for each shape

2. OK, but need to revise it a bit.

3. Not too confident.

Not too confident.

I don’t remember this

All 4 valence electrons on

• 2 bonds formed to H atoms

• 3 bonds formed to F atoms

• Trigonal planar molecule

• 6 bonds formed to F atoms

H – 1 valence electron 2 of oxygen’s 6 valence

2 bonds and 2 LPs

What about the bond angle?

4 bonds, 0 lone pairs 3 bonds, 1 lone pair 2 bonds, 2 lone pairs

Tetrahedral Trigonal pyramidal Bent (v-shaped)

Bond angle = 109.5º

This is the ideal tetrahedral angle

109.5º 108º 104.5º

109.5º 108º 104.5º

4 bonds, 0 lone pairs 3 bonds, 1 lone pair 2 bonds, 2 lone pairs

Tetrahedral Trigonal pyramidal Bent (v-shaped)

Bond angle = 109.5º Bond angle = 108º Bond angle = 104.5º

One lone pair reduces the bond angle slightly

Two lone pairs reduce the bond angle more

• 4 bonds formed to F atoms

• 4 electrons left = 2 LPs

• 4 regions are bonds 

• 4 bonds formed to F atoms

• 4 electrons left = 2 LPs

• 4 regions are bonds 

Bond angle = 90º

• 2 double bonds formed to O atoms

• 2 regions (both are bonds) 

• 2 double bonds formed to O atoms

• 2 regions (both are bonds) 

Press any button on your

• 2 double bonds formed to O atoms

• 2 electrons left  1 lone pair

• 3 regions  trigonal planar

• 2 bonds to atoms  v-shaped

Pentagonal bipyramidal Square pyramidal

2. OK, but need to revise it a bit.

Not too confident.

I don’t remember this

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