Molecular shapes and orbitals

No description yet. This curated deck is ready for daily study.

Total cards: 24•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

Card preview (24)

Front (Question)

chemical bond

Back (Answer)

link between 2 atoms forms if resulting arrangement of the nuclei and their e- has lower energy than total energy of separate atoms (i.e. more energetically favourable)

Front (Question)

name of group 6 elements

Back (Answer)

chalcogens

Front (Question)

types of bonding

Back (Answer)

• ionic • covalent • metallic

Front (Question)

types of bonding models

Back (Answer)

• valence bond theory (localised) • molecular orbital theory (delocalised)

Front (Question)

why does hypervalence exist?

Back (Answer)

due to free d-orbitals

Front (Question)

dative bond

Back (Answer)

one atom donating a lone pair of e- in one orbital into a vacant orbital on another atom

Front (Question)

resonance

Back (Answer)

e- in molecules aren’t always localised to specific bonds Lewis structure preducts 1 double bond and 2 single bonds (actually both lengths are equal + charges = shared) used to explain that actual structure is a hybrid of all possible forms charge = delocalised

Front (Question)

which position would double bonds occupy - axial or equatorial?

Back (Answer)

equatorial - minimises space and repulsion

Front (Question)

which occupy more space - electronegative sub. or electropositive sub.?

Back (Answer)

bonded pairs to electropositive substituents

#10

Front (Question)

stereochemically inactive lone pair

Back (Answer)

occurs if l.p. is in an s-orbital and is evenly distributed around the molecule (∴ has no impact on shape)

#11

Front (Question)

possible structures with 5 valence e-

Back (Answer)

• trigonal bipyramidal - more likely • square based pyramid

#12

Front (Question)

fluxional

Back (Answer)

isomers that can undergo dynamic interchanges between atoms in symmetry-equivalent positions

#13

Front (Question)

which position do lone pairs always occupy?

Back (Answer)

equatorial

#14

Front (Question)

Berry pseudorotation

Back (Answer)

the process which scrambles axial and equatorial ligands on a trigonal bipyramidal

#15

Front (Question)

how to prevent flux between molecules?

Back (Answer)

reaction @ low temp. (freeze it out) product = only thermodynamic one (might not be most kinetically stable one)

#16

Front (Question)

VSEPR - single/multiple bonds

Back (Answer)

indistinguishable multiple bond treated as single bond of higher e- density

#17

Front (Question)

electronegativity + effect of bond polarity on BP/LP in orbital arrangements

Back (Answer)

more polar bonds concentrate e- density at one atom or the other also influence e- repulsion e.g. e- density closer to F than Cl (more electronegative) - make it easier to push bonding pairs together to maximise BP-LP repulsion

#18

Front (Question)

order of repulsion power

Back (Answer)

LP-LP (strongest) LP - double bond LP - single bond double bond-double bond double bond-single bond single bond-single bond (weakest)

#19

Front (Question)

rotation by 180°

Back (Answer)

C2 rotation

#20

Front (Question)

rotation by 120°

Back (Answer)

C3 rotation

#21

Front (Question)

rotation by 60°

Back (Answer)

C4 rotation

#22

Front (Question)

rotation by 90°

Back (Answer)

C6 rotation

#23

Front (Question)

transition metal

Back (Answer)

metal in an element in which the valence e- = d electrons

#24

Front (Question)

“d-block” or “transitional”

Back (Answer)

elements with partially full or full d-shells