VSEPR model

[Roni Touboul]

whats the difference between VSEPR and hybridization conceptually?

[rachana_korapati3C]

VSEPR theory states that the electron pairs in the valence shell of an atom arrange themselves in such a way that repulsions among them are minimized and this arrangement of the electron pairs determines the shape of a particular molecule. Hybridization is the intermixing of a particular number of atomic orbitals to form equal number of new orbitals which have same shape and energy. Both are used to determine the shape of a molecule and that they are independent of each other.

[selatran1h]

VSEPR has to do with the molecular shape, so how the other atoms are positioned around the central atom and how the lone pairs use repulsion to create bond angles with the atoms. Hybridization has to do with the actual orbitals of each of the atoms, usually the central atom. Hybridization is very closely linked to VSEPR.