Shapes of molecules and molecular ions

1. Draw Lewis structure

.
2. Count number of electron domains around the central atom.
An electron domain (i.e. 1 electron domian) refers to either one of the following:
 1 non-bonding pair of electrons
 1 single covalent (1 bonding pair) bond
 1 double covalent bond (2 bonding pairs of electrons)
 1 triple covalent bond (3 bonding pairs of electrons)

3. Check how many of the negative charge centres are non-bonding pairs there around the central atom and
then use the chart below.

Number Electron Number of Shape of Bond angles Examples

of domain non-bonding pairs molecule/ (in )
charge geometry around central atom molecular-ion
centers (electron arrangement) (molecular geometry)

2 Linear 0 Linear 180 BeCl2, CO2,

HCN, C2H2,
+
BeF2, NO2

3 0 Trigonal planar 120 BF3, BCl3,

2-
C2H4, CO3 ,
- +
Trigonal NO3 , CH3
planar

1 Bent Less than 120 O3, SO2 ,

-
HNO, NO2

0 Tetrahedral 109.5 CH4, CCl4,

Tetrahedral CF4, CBr4
4
-
1 Trigonal pyramidal Less than 109.5 NH3, CH3 ,
PCl3

2 Bent Much Less H2O, SF2,

than 109.5 SBr2, Cl2O

 Electron pair domain geometry refers to how all electron pairs/negative charge centres (bonding and non-
bonding pairs) are distributed around the central atom; this is not necessarily the shape of the
molecule/molecular ion.

 Shape of the molecule/molecular-ion or molecular geometry refers to how the atoms are arranged in the
molecule or ion. To determine the molecule/molecular-ion shape only consider the bonded pairs which are
distributed around the central atom.