Experiment 1

Shapes of Molecules
Objectives
Upon completion of this experiment, with the aid of molecular models, students should have
learned:

1. To write Lewis structures of molecules and to apply basic aspect of bonding to

molecules.
2. To predict and to visualize space structures of molecules.

Introduction
Lewis structures of molecules can be written in several ways. One of them is by using the pairing
of valence electrons between atoms from which the molecules are built. For representative
elements, the number of valence electrons in an atom is equal to its group number in the periodic
table. Hydrogen has one valence electron since the element is in the group IA. The number of
valence electrons for beryllium (group 2A), boron (3A), carbon (4A), nitrogen (5A), and oxygen
(6A) are two, three, four, five, and six, respectively. Elements in each group have the number of
valence electrons equal to that of the group number. For example fluorine, chlorine, bromine,
and iodine each has seven valence electrons since they are in the group 7A. An element in the
group 8A such as xenon has eight valence electrons. In this experiment, particular attention will
be given to the simple molecules with surrounding atoms involving hydrogen and halogens
(fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine).

The writing of Lewis structures of molecules using electron pairing approach between
contributing atoms is determined by Lewis structures (or Lewis symbols) of surrounding atoms.
A Lewis structure of the surrounding hydrogen atom is represented by a dot of an electron
around its symbol. First four dots of electrons for surrounding halogen atoms are located at four
sites around the symbols of halogen atoms. Each of the remaining three dots of electrons is
paired with either one of the earlier dots.

These resulted in Lewis structures of the surrounding halogen atoms contain three
electron pairs and one single electron. Structure of the valence electrons of a central atom of a
molecule is also represented by the dots of electrons but now they are placed as far as possible
around the symbol of the central atom. Two; three, four, five, six, seven, and eight dots of
valence electrons for the central atom are respectively placed opposite to each other; placed at
the corner of a trigon, tetragon, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, and octagon surrounding the
symbol. Such valence electrons structures are called the unpaired electron structures for the
central atoms.

Lewis structures of molecules are derived first by writing structures of unpaired electrons of the
central atoms. Then the Lewis structures of the surrounding atoms (hydrogen/halogens) are
written around the central atom with the dots of unpaired electrons of the surrounding atoms are
written closer to the dots of unpaired electrons of the central atom. Unpaired electrons of any
surrounding atoms are attracted electrostatically by the nucleus of the central atom. The same is
true for each of the unpaired electrons of the central atom, which is attracted electrostatically by
the nucleus of the appropriate surrounding atoms. Both unpaired electrons that are situated
between a surrounding atom and the central atom are said to form an electron pair covalent bond.
Both of them are connected with a short line to represent a covalent bond. The remaining dots of
electrons of the central atom that are even in number form the electron lone pairs.

In this experiment, students are expected to build molecular models using plastic centers to
representing atoms and prong sets at the correct bond angles. Different atoms of a molecule are
represented by plastic centers of different colours. All of the single bonds between atoms in this
experiment are made from plastic straws. Electrostatic repulsion between electrons from bonds
and lone pairs on each central atom will determine the positions of the bonds and lone pairs in
space. The electrostatic repulsion between bonds and lone pairs on the central atom are at the
minimum if their positions are furthest apart. The different in the electrostatic repulsion caused
by a lone pair, which is not the same as that by a bond will bring about the distortion from the
perfect geometry. The sum of lone pairs and the number of surrounding atoms at a central atom
are called the electron domains. The surrounding atoms of central atoms with two, three, four,
five, and six single bonds (no lone pairs) will have linear, trigonal planar, tetrahedral, trigonal
bipyramidal, and octahedral geometry respectively. The appearance of lone pairs at the expense
of single bonds will produce geometrical derivatives such as bent, trigonal pyramidal, distorted
tetrahedral (seesaw), T-shape, square pyramidal, and square planar.

Materials and Equipment

1. Cotton threads.
2. A protractor (not provided).
3. A ruler (not provided).
4. Plastic centers with a prong; white (6).
5. Plastic centers with two straight prongs (1), three prongs (1), four prongs (1), five prongs (1),
six prongs (1); different colours.
6. Plastic straws; 5 cm (6).

Procedure

1. MOLECULES HAVING CENTRAL ATOMS WITH TWO ELECTRON DOMAINS

1.1 Write the Lewis structure of beryllium hydride, BeH 2.

1.2 Construct a model of beryllium hydride using a two-prong beryllium atom and two
one-prong hydrogen atoms linked by two 5-cm plastic straws. Draw the model for
beryllium hydride where each atom is represented by a circle containing a
symbol for the element, and each bond is represented by a straight line in such a
way that all atoms lie in the same plane of the paper. Draw all of the following
models in this way.
1.3 Try to align a ruler with all three atoms of the beryllium hydride model. Do all the
 atoms lie approximately in a straight line? What shape would you predict for the
beryllium hydride molecule? Dismantle the model.

2. MOLECULES HAVING CENTRAL ATOMS WITH THREE ELECTRON

DOMAINS

2.1 Write the Lewis structure of boron trifluoride, BF3

2.2 Make a model of boron trifluoride using a three-prong boron atom and three one-
prong fluorine atoms joined by three 5-cm plastic straws. Draw the model for boron
trifluoride produced where all atoms lie in the plane of your paper. Ignore the
lone pairs on the surrounding fluorine atoms.
2.3 Measure and record the angles between adjacent bonds with a protractor.
Are all the angles approximately equal to each other?
2.4 Run a cotton thread through the centers of all the fluorine atoms so that the atoms are
joined with each another. Record the shape formed by the cotton thread. This
model will be used in Procedure 2.6 below.
2.5 Write the Lewis structure for tin dichloride, SnCl2.
2.6 Derive a molecular model for tin dichloride from the model of boron trifluoride above
by removing one of the plastic straws from the boron center. Draw the molecular
model of tin dichloride that is similar to that of the drawing in the Procedure 2.2
above. However, in this model, a lone pair is included in the central atom by
drawing a straight line having a pair of dots at its end. Record its shape.
Dismantle the model.

3. MOLECULES HAVING CENTRAL ATOMS WITH FOUR ELECTRON

DOMAINS

3.1 Write the Lewis structure of methane, CH4.

3.2 Construct a model using a four-prong carbon atom and four one-prong hydrogen
atoms linked by four 5-cm plastic straws. Draw the model for methane using the
perspective drawing in such a way that the first two carbon-hydrogen bonds lie
in the plane of the paper (the bonds are represented as the smooth lines, ―; one
of them must be vertical). The third carbon-hydrogen bond is located out of the
plane of the paper towards the observer (the bond is represented by a wedge,
◄). The fourth carbon-hydrogen bond is directed outwards from the plane away
from the observer (the bond is represented as a dotted-line, …..).
3.3 Measure the angles between the adjacent bonds and record them. Do all the
angles equal approximately?
3.4 Thread a length of cotton through the hydrogen atom centers so that all of them are
joined to each another. Record the shape formed by the cotton thread. The four
hydrogen atoms are at the corners of a shape with the carbon atom at its center. This
model will be used in Procedure 3.5 below.
3.5 Write the Lewis structure for ammonia, NH3. Derive a molecular model for
ammonia from the molecular model of methane by pulling out one of the plastic straw
from the carbon center. Draw the molecular model of ammonia using perspective
 drawing as described in Procedure 3.2 above. However, the drawing now
involves a lone pair of electrons on the central atom as explained in Procedure
2.6. Record this shape. The model will be used in Procedure 3.6 below.
3.6 Write the Lewis structure of water, H2O. Derive a molecular model for water from
the molecular model of ammonia by removing one of the plastic straws from the
center atom (i.e. the nitrogen center of ammonia). Draw the molecular model of
water using the perspective drawing as described in Procedure 3.5 above.
Record its shape. Now the model can be dismantled.

4. MOLECULES HAVING CENTRAL ATOMS WITH FIVE ELECTRON DOMAINS

4.1 Write the Lewis structure for phosphorus pentafluoride, PF5.

4.2 Make a model of phosphorus pentafluoride using a five-prong phosphorus atom and
five one-prong fluorine atoms linked by five 5-cm plastic straws. Draw the
molecular model of phosphorus pentafluoride produced using perspective
drawing in such a way that three "T-shaped" phosphorus-fluorine bonds lie
in the plane of the paper (the bonds are represented as smooth lines; two
phosphorus-fluorine bonds must be vertical). The fourth phosphorus-
fluorine bond is out of the plane of the paper pointing towards the observer
(the bond is·represented as a wedge) while the fifth phosphorus-fluorine
bond is represented as a dotted-line).
4.3 Hang the model by holding one fluorine atom at a pair of phosphorus-fluorine
bonds that lie in a straight line. Denote and name both bonds (axial or
equatorial) in the shape drawn in Procedure 4.2 above. Denote and name all
the three remaining phosphorus-fluorine bonds.
4.4 Measure and record the largest bond angels. Also measure and record the
intermediate and the smallest bond angels. State how many are there.
4.5 Run a cotton thread through all of the fluorine atoms. Record the space shape that is
formed by the cotton thread. This model will be used in Procedure 4.6 below.
4.6 Write the Lewis structure for sulfur tetrafluoride, SF4. Derive a molecular
model for sulfur tetrafluoride from that of phosphorus pentafluoride by pulling
out either one of the plastic straws from any two different types of the
phosphorus-fluorine bonds mentioned in Procedure 4.3 above.
First, pull out one of plastic straws from two phosphorus-fluorine bonds that lie
in a straight line. Draw the first model of sulfur tetrafluoride in perspective
drawing, which is as described in Procedure 4.2 above. How many sulfur--
fluorine bonds are perpendicular to the electron lone pair on the sulfur
atom?
Put back the plastic straw that was removed earlier and pull out one of the three
remaining phosphorus-fluorine bonds. Draw the second model of sulfur
tetrafluoride as described in Procedure 4.2 above. How many sulfur-fluorine
bonds are perpendicular to the electron lone pair on the sulfur atom?
In term of electrostatic repulsion, the lone pair in which models (first or second
model) of the sulfur tetrafluoride will experience more repulsion? Which model
will be chosen as a suitable sulfur tetrafluoride molecule? Name this particular
 shape. This model will be used in Procedure 4.7 below.
4.7 Write the Lewis structure of chlorine trifluoride, ClF3. Derive molecular model
for chlorine trifluoride from that of sulfur tetrafluoride by pulling out one plastic
straw that is the same as the one remove above. What is the angle between
adjacent lone pairs of electrons? Why their electrostatic repulsion can be
ignored.
Draw the model of chlorine trifluoride in perspective drawing which is exactly
similar to that described in Procedure 4.6 above. Name this shape. This model
will be used in Procedure 4.8 below.
4.8 Write the Lewis structure of xenon difluoride, XeF2. Derive molecular model for
xenon difluoride from that of chlorine trifluoride by pulling out a plastic straw similar
to that removed above. Draw the model of xenon difluoride in perspective
drawing as described in Procedure 4.7 above. Name this shape. Dismantle the
model.

5. MOLECULES HAVING CENTRAL ATOMS WITH SIX ELECTRON DOMAINS

1.1 Write the Lewis structure of sulfur hexafluoride, SF6.

1.2 Build a model of sulfur hexafluoride using a six-prong sulfur atom and six one-prong
fluorine atoms connected by six 5 cm plastic straws. Draw the model for sulfur
hexafluoride produced using the perspective drawing in such a way that any
two straight sulfur-fluorine bonds lie in the plane of the paper, i.e. the bonds are
represented as the smooth lines as two vertical bonds. Two other “V-shaped”
sulfur-fluorine bonds are out of the plane of the paper directed toward the
observer (represented as two wedges) while the two remaining sulfur-fluorine
bonds are directed outward from the plane away from the observer (the bonds
are represented as two dotted-lines)
5.3 Measure and record the largest bond angle. Measure and record the remaining
bond angles, and then state how many are there. How many pairs of sulfur-
fluorine bonds which lies in a straight line. Hang the model by holding one of
the fluorine atoms. Name the pair of the bonds either as axial or equatorial.
Name the other two pairs of the remaining bonds.
5.4 Run a cotton thread through all the six fluorine atoms. State the shape formed by
the cotton thread. This model will be used in Procedure 5.5 below.
5.5 Write the Lewis structure of bromine pentafluoride, BrF5. Derive a molecular
model for bromine pentafluoride from that of sulfur hexafluoride above by pulling
out anyone of the plastic straws on the central sulfur atom. Draw the model of
bromine pentafluoride produced in perspective drawing as described in
Procedure 5.2 above. Name its shape. This model will be used in Procedure 5.6
below.
5.6 Write the Lewis structure of xenon tetrafluoride, XeF4. Derive a molecular model
for xenon tetrafluoride from that of bromine pentafluoride above by pulling out
anyone of the four plastic straws of the bromine-fluorine bonds that is close to the
lone pair of the bromine pentafluoride model.
Draw the first model of xenon tetrafluoride in perspective drawing as
described in Procedure 5.5 above. What is the angle between the lone pairs
of the model? Put back the plastic straw that was removed earlier and then pull
out another plastic straw of the bromine-fluorine bond (see 5.5) that is situated
farthest away from the lone pair. Draw the second model of xenon
tetrafluoride in a perspective drawing as described in Procedure 5.5 above.
What is the angle between the lone pairs in this model? From the
electrostatic viewpoint, which two lone pairs from the models of xenon
tetrafluoride exert more repulsion (the first or second model)? Which model
can be chosen as the xenon tetrafluoride model? Name the shape of the
chosen model of xenon tetrafluoride.