The Relationship Between the Number of Places Where Valence Electrons Can Be Found and the Goemetry Around an Atom
Places Where Electrons are
Found		 Places With Bonding Electrons Places
With Non-
bonding Electrons		 Distri-
bution of Electrons 		Molecular Geometry Examples
2 2 0 linear linear BeF2, CO2 Structure
1 1 linear CO, N2 Structure
3 3 0 trigonal planar trigonal
planar		 BF3, CO32- trigpy_1.gif (1046 bytes)
2 1 bent O2, SO2 Structure
1 2 linear O2 Structure
4 4 0 tetrahedral tetrahedral CH4, SO42- Structure
3 1 trigonal pyramidal NH3, H3O+ Structure
2 2 bent H2O, ICl2+ Structure
1 3 linear HF, OH- Structure
5 5 0 trigonal bipyramidal trigonal bipyramidal PF5 Structure
4 1 seesaw SF4, TeCl4, IF4+ Structure
3 2 T-shaped ClF3 Structure
2 3 linear I3-, XeF2 Structure
6 6 0 octahedral octahedral SF6, PF6-, SiF62- Structure
5 1 square pyramidal BrF5, SbCl52- Structure
4 2 square
planar		 XeF4, ICl4- Structure

Return to Top of Page

Return To VSEPR Page