VSEPR and Hybridization: Molecular Shapes & Bonding
VSEPR — Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion
Molecular structure — the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule.
Molecular structure and electron-pair repulsion
Electron-pair repulsion: electron pairs spread as far apart as possible to minimize repulsion. Unshared (lone) pairs exert an overall effect on the bond angles between shared electron pairs.
Hybridization
Hybridization is the mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals that are identical in energy and shape. For example, mixing an s orbital and a p orbital produces two sp hybrid orbitals.
The structure around a given atom is determined by minimizing repulsion between electron pairs.
sp hybridization
- Geometry: Linear
- Bonded atoms: Two bonded
- Lone pairs: Zero non-bonded