Shapes of Molecules
Molecular shape depends on the number of bonding pairs and lone pairs around a central atom. These pages separate the key geometries so that students can revise electron-pair repulsion, bond angles and how lone pairs change the final shape.
These pages cover electronegativity, ionic bonding and giant ionic lattices, metallic bonding, and covalent bonding with sigma and pi bonds, dative bonds and giant covalent structures.
They then cover the shapes and bond angles of molecules, polar molecules, and intermolecular forces with hydrogen bonding and the anomalous properties of water.
Revision Notes
11 revision notes, in the order the specification teaches them.
Linear
Revise linear molecules with two bonding regions around the central atom and a bond angle of 180°.
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Trigonal Planar
Learn trigonal planar geometry, where three bonding regions arrange at 120° around the central atom.
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Tetrahedral
Revise tetrahedral molecules with four bonding pairs and bond angles of about 109.5°.
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Trigonal Pyramidal
Understand how one lone pair changes a tetrahedral electron-pair arrangement into a trigonal pyramidal shape.
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Bent
Learn how lone pairs compress bond angles and produce bent or V-shaped molecules such as H₂O.
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Trigonal Bipyramidal
Revise five-region electron-pair geometry with axial and equatorial positions.
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Octahedral
Learn octahedral geometry, where six bonding regions arrange at 90° around the central atom.
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Square Planar
Revise square planar shapes formed from octahedral electron-pair arrangements with two opposite lone pairs.
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Square Pyramidal
Understand square pyramidal molecules and how one lone pair affects an octahedral arrangement.
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Distorted T
Learn distorted T-shaped molecules where lone pairs alter the arrangement of bonding pairs around the central atom.
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SeeSaw
Revise seesaw shapes formed from trigonal bipyramidal electron-pair arrangements with one lone pair.
Start revisingSummary Map
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Summary map
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Shapes of Molecules Map
Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry · Topic 3 Chemical bonding · Shapes of molecules
The whole section on one A4 page: VSEPR, lone pairs, five and six pairs, related species and dipole moments.
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Specification
Every specification point in this topic, in the exam board's own words. Rate how confident you are with each one.
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3.5.1
- a
state and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, BF3 (trigonal planar, 120°) by using VSEPR theory
Revise - c
state and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, CH4 (tetrahedral, 109.5°) by using VSEPR theory
Revise - d
state and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, NH3 (pyramidal, 107°) by using VSEPR theory
Revise - e
state and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, H2O (non-linear, 104.5°) by using VSEPR theory
Revise - f
state and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, SF6 (octahedral, 90°) by using VSEPR theory
Revise - g
state and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, PF5 (trigonal bipyramidal, 120° and 90°) by using VSEPR theory
Revise
3.5.2
- 3.5.2
predict the shapes of, and bond angles in, molecules and ions analogous to those specified in 3.5.1
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