structure ?

[nshahwan 1L]

How can you tell if something is linear or not?

[Daniel Martinez 1k]

Linear molecular shapes arise when there are 2 bonded pairs. If there are zero, three, or four lone pairs attached to the central atom that already has two bonded pairs, the molecule would have a linear shape.

[Jenna Ortiguerra 4G]

Molecules with 2 bonded pairs will either form a linear and bent shaped molecule. When the central atom has no lone pairs and has equal bonds between its neighboring atoms that are the same, it will have a linear shape.

[Alexandra Bartolome 2H]

A molecule will have linear structure when the central atom has no lone pairs. This is because the bonding pairs will lie on opposite sides of the central atom to be far apart. Examples are H2O and BeCl2. It helps to draw Lewis structures.

[Justin Sarquiz 2F]

Water actually has a bent and not a linear shape because the two lone pairs of electrons sit next to each other rather than on opposite sides. If the two lone pairs are on opposite sides, then water would be nonpolar.

[Jaci Glassick 2G]

A molecule is linear if it has two bonded atoms and the central atom has no lone pairs. If the central atom has lone pairs, then the molecule will be bent, not linear. Hope this helps!

[Sartaj Bal 1J]

It can be determined if a molecule has linear shape by looking at the number of bonding and lone pairs on the central atom. For example, molecules with the VSEPR notation of AX2 and AX2E3 both have linear shapes.

[Emily Chirila 2E]

It can be determined if a molecule has linear shape by looking at the number of bonding and lone pairs on the central atom. For example, molecules with the VSEPR notation of AX2 and AX2E3 both have linear shapes.

AX2E3 is an important one to remember--- even though the central atom has lone pairs it is still linear because their repulsions cancel out.

[Junxi Feng 3B]

The best way to do that is simply draw out the lewis structure, count the number of surrounding atoms and lone pairs. And then hopefully you can recall what each shape of molecules should be like.