Molecular Structure and Polarity: practice problems

Key terms · 16

axial position

location in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry in which there is another atom at a 180° angle and the equatorial positions are at a 90° angle

bond angle

angle between any two covalent bonds that share a common atom

bond distance

(also, bond length) distance between the nuclei of two bonded atoms

bond dipole moment

separation of charge in a bond that depends on the difference in electronegativity and the bond distance represented by partial charges or a vector

dipole moment

property of a molecule that describes the separation of charge determined by the sum of the individual bond moments based on the molecular structure

electron-pair geometry

arrangement around a central atom of all regions of electron density (bonds, lone pairs, or unpaired electrons)

equatorial position

one of the three positions in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry with 120° angles between them; the axial positions are located at a 90° angle

linear

shape in which two outside groups are placed on opposite sides of a central atom

molecular structure

structure that includes only the placement of the atoms in the molecule

octahedral

shape in which six outside groups are placed around a central atom such that a three-dimensional shape is generated with four groups forming a square and the other two forming the apex of two pyramids, one above and one below the square plane

polar molecule

(also, dipole) molecule with an overall dipole moment

tetrahedral

shape in which four outside groups are placed around a central atom such that a three-dimensional shape is generated with four corners and 109.5° angles between each pair and the central atom

trigonal bipyramidal

shape in which five outside groups are placed around a central atom such that three form a flat triangle with 120° angles between each pair and the central atom, and the other two form the apex of two pyramids, one above and one below the triangular plane

trigonal planar

shape in which three outside groups are placed in a flat triangle around a central atom with 120° angles between each pair and the central atom

valence shell electron-pair repulsion theory (VSEPR)

theory used to predict the bond angles in a molecule based on positioning regions of high electron density as far apart as possible to minimize electrostatic repulsion

vector

quantity having magnitude and direction