Bent vs linear
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Bent vs linear
How would I be able to distinguish between a shape that is bent or linear since they both have 2 bonded atoms?
Re: Bent vs linear
A bent molecule will have a lone pair, or two in the case of AX2E2, on the central atom as opposed to a linear which has no lone pairs around the central atom.
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Re: Bent vs linear
When a central atom is bonded to two atoms with no lone pairs, it is linear. If one lone pair is present on the central atom, the molecule is bent since the lone pair repels the bonded atoms. I find it useful to count how many areas of electron density there are for the central atom before I determine the shape. For instance, if a central atom is bonded to two atoms and has one lone pair, there are three areas of electron density. If all three areas of electron density were bonded atoms, the atom would have a trigonal planar shape with 120 degree bond angles; however, since one of the areas of electron density is a lone pair, the bond angle must be less than 120 degrees as lone pairs repel bonded atoms more than bonded atoms repel each other. Therefore, the molecule must be bent. If the central atom has two lone pairs and two bonds, it has four regions of electron density. This is like a water molecule. It is also bent.
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Re: Bent vs linear
A linear molecule has an angle of 180 degrees because it is just a straight line between the three atoms. Bent molecules typically have a lone pair, causing repulsion between the bonded atoms, ultimately forming a smaller angle between the bonded atoms. AX2 and AX2E3 are both linear molecules, with AX2E3 being linear because the 3 lone pairs are on the equatorial plane, allowing the axial plane to stay (180 degrees).
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Re: Bent vs linear
AX2E3 has 3 lone pairs however it is still considered linear on the handout that we were given in discussion.
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Re: Bent vs linear
It depends on lone pairs on the central atom so draw the lewis structure and work from there.
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Re: Bent vs linear
You could draw the Lewis structure and determine the VSEPR formula. A formula of AX2E or AX2E2 would indicate that the molecule is bent. AX2 or AX2E3 would be linear.
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Re: Bent vs linear
The bent shape has lone pair on the central atom while the linear shape typically does not have any lone pairs except for the exception of the molecule with 5 electron densities where there are 2 bonds and 3 lone pairs and the molecule with 6 electron densities with 2 bonds and 4 electron densities.
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Re: Bent vs linear
It's helpful to think about how many electron pairs are occupying spots where there may/may not be atoms. Add the Xs and Es together to get the electron configuration, and then subtract as many atoms as there are lone pairs. This way you'll see which molecules should be "bent" down or not.
Re: Bent vs linear
The bent shape has 1-2 lone pairs on the central atom, whereas the linear shape has none or 3-4 lone pairs.
Re: Bent vs linear
A molecule would be bent because it has lone pairs on the central atom. Lone pairs have very strong electronic repulsion, for which the other two atoms bonded to the central atom are repelled to be as far from the lone pair as possible.
Re: Bent vs linear
bent will have 1 or 2 lone pairs (AX2E oe AX2E2) while linear will have none or 3 (AX2 or AX2E3)!
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Re: Bent vs linear
If there were only two bonded atoms and no lone pairs of electrons, then the electron arrangement would be LINEAR. But if there were two bonded atoms AND lone pairs of electrons, then the electron arrangement would be BENT or ANGULAR.
This is because the repulsive nature of the lone pair electron is greater than that of the bonded atom because it can occupy more space.
This is because the repulsive nature of the lone pair electron is greater than that of the bonded atom because it can occupy more space.
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Re: Bent vs linear
A bent molecule has a lone pair which pushes the other atoms away from it, causing a bent shape.
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Re: Bent vs linear
A bent molecule will have one or two lone pairs with VESPR functions AX2E and AX2E2
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Re: Bent vs linear
you can look at the VSEPR formula. For bent molecules, the formula can be: AX2E or AX2E2. for linear molecules the formula can be: AX2 or AX2E3 or AX2E4
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Re: Bent vs linear
Linear will have ONLY those two bonded atoms around the central atom, or the two bonded atoms and enough lone pairs around the central atom that would cause the dipole moments created from the lone pairs to cancel out, while bent would have the two bonded atoms around the central atom AND lone pairs with dipole moments that won't cancel out.
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Re: Bent vs linear
A bent molecule has one or two lone pairs, while a linear molecule has three lone pairs or none.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Bent has 1 or 2 lone pairs- either AX2E or AX2E2. They are bent because the lone pairs repel the electrons on the bonded atoms.
Re: Bent vs linear
A linear shaped molecule has no lone pairs at the central atom, while a bent shaped molecule does have one or two lone pairs at the central atom.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Bent molecules have a lone pair, aka "E", compared to linear molecules do not. The lone pairs repel the electrons on the bonded atoms.
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Re: Bent vs linear
If there are either one or two electron pairs on the central atom along with the two bonded atoms, it would result in bent shape. Otherwise, the molecule would be linear in shape.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Look to see the electron geometries and molecular shapes to help you decide! For example if there are 2 atoms bonded and 1 electron then it is bent, if there are 2 atoms and 2 electrons it is also bent, if there are 2 atoms and 3 electrons it is linear because the lone pairs balance eachother out.
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Re: Bent vs linear
The biggest difference between linear and bent is to notice whether something is pushing down on the outside two atoms (such as a lone pair on the central atom). Hope this helps :)
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Re: Bent vs linear
Can we refer to bent as angular or v-shaped as well or are we limited to just saying bent for exams?
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Re: Bent vs linear
Natalie Benitez 1C wrote:Can we refer to bent as angular or v-shaped as well or are we limited to just saying bent for exams?
I recall hearing that bent or v-shaped would be accepted for exams. However, all three are the same shape. I would refer to it as bent on exams to be on the safe side.
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Re: Bent vs linear
While both molecular geometry's do have two bonds connected to the central the main thing to consider is if there are any lone pairs on the central atom as well. There are two instances when it can be considered linear; one way is when there are only two bonds to the central atom and no lone pairs, the other is when the orbital geometry is that of a trigonal bi-pyramidal in which there are 3 lone pairs and 2 bonds attached to the central atom. Bent molecular geometry occurs when there are 2 bonds and one lone pair and also when there 2 bonds and 2 lone pairs.
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Re: Bent vs linear
If a molecule has two lone pairs, whether or not it is bent or linear depends on the total number of regions of electron density.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Linear has no lone electrons so it would be AX but a bent shape has a lone pair so it would be AXE.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Does bent mean the same thing as angular? In the textbook they use the term angular and I was sure what that meant.
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Re: Bent vs linear
A bent molecule will have a lone pair that forces the other two bonded atoms into a bent bond angle, and the linear molecules either have no lone pairs, or the lone pairs are evenly distributed so that the molecule is still linear (in molecules with 5 or 6 electron density regions)
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Re: Bent vs linear
A bent molecule must have at least one lone pair on the central atom. A molecule will be linear without the lone pair because there is nothing pushing down on them. When you add the lone pair, the other two atoms want to be as far away (repulsion) causing the molecule to be bent
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Re: Bent vs linear
A molecule is bent rather than linear because when a lone pair has more repulsion than that of another atom, so even though the other two atoms in the bent shape are closer together, this is still a more optimal shape.
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Re: Bent vs linear
A linear molecule has a 180 degree angle while a bent has less than a 120 degree angle
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Re: Bent vs linear
Bent molecules will have lone pairs on the central atom in addition to the two bound atoms. These lone pairs will distort the shape of the molecule to bent instead of linear.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Liner shapes will have 2 bonding atoms and 1 or 2 lone pairs on the central atoms. Linear shapes are also 2 bonding atoms but will have either zero or 3 lone pairs on the central atom. AX2E, AX2E2 = bent. AX2, AX2E3= linear. Also, bent shapes are more likely to be polar than linear shapes
Re: Bent vs linear
linear: 2 regions of electron density, 2 bonds
bent: 4 regions of electron density, 2 bonds
bent: 4 regions of electron density, 2 bonds
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Re: Bent vs linear
A molecule would be linear if there is one central atom and no lone pairs on the central atom where as the molecule would be bent if there is a lone pair. The only exception is AX2E3 where it is also linear.
Re: Bent vs linear
Is there a difference between bent and angular? Or is it just another way of saying the same thing?
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Re: Bent vs linear
Bent molecules can have the VSEPR formula AX2E or AX2E2. Linear molecules can have the VSEPR formula AX2, AX2E, or AX2E3. It depends on the number of lone pairs and how the regions of electron density affect the shape of the molecule.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Micah3J wrote:Is there a difference between bent and angular? Or is it just another way of saying the same thing?
These are interchangeable terms for the same shape! They both describe the molecular shape that has a bond angle of <120 degrees.
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Re: Bent vs linear
Linear comes from the parent electron geometries of trigonal bipyramidal and octahedral, whereas bent comes from trigonal planar and tetrahedral
Re: Bent vs linear
Katherine Chhen 3I wrote:What about AX2E3 since it is linear and not bent?
You cannot have all 3 electrons together because there would be a lot of electron electron repulsion, therefore 2 electrons and one electron would repel from the 2 atoms and allow for this linear shape
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Re: Bent vs linear
Looking at the number of lone pairs can help identify whether or not the molecule is bent or linear.
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