Bond Angles

[Danika Suh 2L]

Hi! During lecture, it was mentioned that the angles on a lewis structure would differ from the actual angles seen with finding the molecular structure for a molecule. Is this just because the atoms are actually in different distances/positions from each other?

[Nolan_Kuo_2L]

Hi,

The angles between atoms found in a Lewis structure would be different compared to VSPER because you are trying to represent a 3D shape in 2 dimensions. For example, in CH4, it is common to represent the 4 H atoms bonded to the central C, with each H atom being 90 degrees apart. However, if you think of an actual 3 dimensional space, it isn't actually the most efficient way to place 4 atoms a central atom. That's why it is tetrahedral, which is like a pyramid with 3 sides.

The VSPER model is a more accurate reflection of how atoms are positioned in space compared to the Lewis Structures.