Chemistry › Section G · Chemical bonding and molecular geometry › Topic G.6
Molecular shape and polarity
A Lewis structure is flat, but molecules are not. Counting the electron groups around a central atom lets you predict a molecule's three-dimensional shape, and the shape decides whether the molecule as a whole is polar, which in turn affects what it dissolves in and how it boils.
In this topic
- Molecules in three dimensions
- The VSEPR idea
- The five electron-pair geometries
- Lone pairs change the shape and the angles
- Five and six groups with lone pairs
- Worked example: phosphorus trichloride
- Multiple bonds and larger molecules
- Bond dipoles and molecular polarity
- Predicting polarity
- Worked example: sulfur tetrafluoride
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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