VSEPR Theory and Orbital Hybridization

Imagine being a child and playing with paper dolls. The dolls were essentially two dimensional drawings and came with various paper outfits. Of course, these dolls were no match for the exciting three dimensional toys of today.

Drawing Lewis dot structures for compounds is equally unsatisfying to a chemist. Seeing a molecule drawn out on paper does not really give a scientist much information about its true shape. It is essential to know a molecule's actual shape, not just what it looks like on paper. The shape of a compound is very important in determining its chemical and physical properties. In this topic, you will investigate how the VSEPR theory helps to determine the shape of chemical compounds.

Essential Question

• How is the VSEPR theory helpful in determining molecular shape?