Tutorial Questions-Answers-Chapter 12- VSEPR AND VBT

1. Describe the valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory.

a model used to predict the shapes of many molecules and polyatomic ions, based on
the idea that the lowest-energy arrangement for a compound is the one in which its
electron pairs (bonding and non-bonding) are as far as apart as possible.

2. Draw the Lewis structure and determine the molecular geometry of the following
molecules or ions:

(a) CO2 (b) BeH2 (c) BH3

O C O
Linear (AB2)
Linear (AB2)
Trigonal planar (AB3)

(d) BF3 (e) NO3- (f) CH4

-
O

N
Trigonal planar (AB3)
O O
Tetrahedral (AB4)
Trigonal planar (AB3)

(g) NH4 (h) PCl5 (i) NH3

Cl
+ Cl
H
Cl P
H N H Cl Trigonal pyramidal (AB3E)
Cl
H Trigonal bipyramidal (AB5)

Tetrahedral (AB4)
(j) PF5 (k) H2O (l) SCl6
Cl
Cl Cl
S
Cl Cl
Angular, Bent (AB2E2) Cl
Octahedral (AB6)
Trigonal bipyramidal (AB5)

3. For each of the following molecules, determine whether the molecules are either
polar or nonpolar:

(a) Ammonia, NH3

Hint:
(1) Draw Lewis structure of NH 3. There are three bonding groups and one lone
pair. Molecular geometry is trigonal pyramidal.

(2) Determine if the molecule contains polar bonds refer to their

electronegativities. EA for Nitrogen is 3.0 and hydrogen is 2.1. Therefore, the
bonds are polar.

(3) Determine if the polar bonds add together to form a net dipole moment. From
NH3, the net dipole moment  0, so NH3 is polar.

(b) Nitrogen trifluoride, NF3

polar.

4. Describe the basic ideas of valence bond theory (VBT).

The theory states that covalent bonds are formed when atomic orbitals overlap, and
the strength of a covalent bond is proportional to the amount of overlap.

5. Refer to the chemical equation below:

PCl3 (g)  Cl2 (g)  PCl5 (g)

(a) Draw Lewis structure of PCl5 (Atomic number: P=15; Cl=17)

 (b) What is the hybrid orbital of P atom in PCl5 and PCl3.

P [Ne] 3s23p3

Answer: sp3d

(c) Draw the overlapping of orbitals from F and hybrid orbital of P to form PCl 3
molecule.

(d) State the molecular geometry and polarity of the PCl3.

Trigonal bipyramidal
Polar (asymmetrical)
6. The following chemical reaction described the formation of nitrogen gas (N 2) from
ammonia (NH3) and oxygen (O2).

4NH3 (aq)  3O2 (g)  2N2 (g) + 6H2O (l)

(a) Predict the molecular geometry and electronic geometry of ammonia molecule
(NH3).
N
H H
H
Molecular Geometry – trigonal pyramidal
Electronic Geometry – Tetrahedron

(b) Explain the hybridisation for the central atom and overlapping of hybrid orbitals
for ammonia molecule (NH3).

N [He] 2s2 2p3

H 1s1
The ground state electronic configuration of nitrogen atom is:
1s22s22px12py12pz1. Nitrogen atom undergoes sp3 hybridisation of one 2s
and three 2p orbitals to give four sp3 orbitals

or

Hybrid orbital – sp3

In NH3, three of half-filled electron of sp 3 hybrid orbital is overlapped by

a half-filled s- orbital from hydrogen atom to form a total of three
covalent bonds