The figure that follows contains ball-and-stick drawings of three possible shapes of an AF4 molecule. (a) For each shape, give the electron-domain geometry on which the molecular geometry is based. ii.

Key Concepts

Electron-Domain Geometry

Electron-domain geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of all electron domains around a central atom in a molecule. This includes both bonding pairs of electrons (shared between atoms) and lone pairs (non-bonding electrons). The geometry is determined by the number of these electron domains, which influences the overall shape of the molecule.

Molecular Geometry

Molecular geometry describes the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule, focusing on the positions of the nuclei rather than the electron clouds. It is derived from the electron-domain geometry but takes into account the repulsion between electron pairs, leading to specific shapes such as linear, trigonal planar, or tetrahedral.

VSEPR Theory

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory is a model used to predict the geometry of molecules based on the repulsion between electron pairs in the valence shell of the central atom. According to VSEPR, electron pairs will arrange themselves as far apart as possible to minimize repulsion, which directly influences both electron-domain and molecular geometries.