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Ch.10 - Chemical Bonding II: Molecular Shapes & Valence Bond Theory

Chapter 10, Problem 38

Which species has the smaller bond angle, ClO4- or ClO3- ? Explain.

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Hi everyone here we have a question asking us between phosphate and phosphate fight, which compound is expected to have a smaller bond angle? So first we need to draw out our Lewis structure. So for phosphate we have phosphorus with one lone pair Single bonded to three oxygen's Each with three lone pairs and negative charge. Now for foss fight we have phosphorus in the middle, double bonded to oxygen, Single bonded to three other oxygen's Each with three long pairs and a negative charge lone pairs on the central atom push the bonds away from it, making the bonds closer together and have smaller angles. Both phosphorus central atoms have four electron domains. But due to the lone pairs, foss fight will have the smaller bond angle and that is our final answer. Thank you for watching. Bye.