Molecular Shape vs. Electron Geometry
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Molecular Shape vs. Electron Geometry
What's the difference between electron geometry and molecular shape?
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Re: Molecular Shape vs. Electron Geometry
Electron geometry refers to how electron groups are arranged, while molecular shape how all the atoms in a molecule are arranged. Lone and bonding electron pairs are considered in electron geometry, while molecular shape only considers bonding electron pairs.
For example, using electron geometry, a trigonal planar shaped molecule has three bonds. The molecular shape of this molecule is also trigonal if there are atoms bonded at all three locations, but if atoms are only bonded at one or two of the three pairs of electrons and a lone pair is present, the molecular shape bent instead.
For example, using electron geometry, a trigonal planar shaped molecule has three bonds. The molecular shape of this molecule is also trigonal if there are atoms bonded at all three locations, but if atoms are only bonded at one or two of the three pairs of electrons and a lone pair is present, the molecular shape bent instead.
Re: Molecular Shape vs. Electron Geometry
Electron geometry is the geometry of all the electron groups, including lone pairs and bonds. Molecular shape is the actual position of the atoms, not including lone pairs. For example, NH3 electron geometry is tetrahedral (due to 3 bonds and 1 lone pair), but the molecular geometry is trigonal pyramidal, due to its 3 bonds (so just the 3 bonds/atoms).
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Re: Molecular Shape vs. Electron Geometry
So is this an easy way to look at it: electron geometry/arrangement takes into account lone pairs of the central atom whereas molecular shape simply considers the shared bonds?
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Re: Molecular Shape vs. Electron Geometry
amogha_koka3I wrote:So is this an easy way to look at it: electron geometry/arrangement takes into account lone pairs of the central atom whereas molecular shape simply considers the shared bonds?
Yeah, that is the difference between the two.
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