see-saw

[Lily Mohtashami]

what are the bond angles in a seesaw shape?

[Hannah Biju 1E]

120 degrees and 90 degrees

[YUNALEE]

hi lily this is because of the lone pair

[Savannah Torella 1L]

The seesaw shape contains 90 and 120 degree angles. The lone pair interacts with two bonds at 90 degrees. The other bonds on the equatorial plane are 120 degrees.

[Brandon Pham 1H]

90 and 120 degrees

[David Facio 3C]

Normally, 5 regions of electron density would qualify as a trigonal bi-pyramidal shape, but since we have one lone pair, we know it is seesaw.


If you imagine the lone pair atop the shape, and the rest of the bonds along the sides, then the bonds would all be pushed downwards, away from the lone pair.

This means that that the angles expected would be smaller than those of the trigonal pyramidal shape.


This is why the angles are expected to be 120 and 90 degrees.

[Chudi Onyedika 3A]

120 in the equatorial plane, and 90 in the axial plane