Which of the following does NOT describe a t-shaped molecule?
A. 2 bonded electron pairs much less than [tex]$109^{\circ}$[/tex] apart, 2 lone pairs
B. 3 bonded electron pairs [tex]$90^{\circ}$[/tex] apart, 2 lone pairs
C. 3 bonded electrons pairs [tex]$180^{\circ}$[/tex] and [tex]$90^{\circ}$[/tex] apart, 3 lone pairs
Answer (2)
The question asks which option does NOT describe a T-shaped molecule. By analyzing the electron and molecular geometries of each option, we find that options (a) and (c) do not describe a T-shaped molecule. Therefore, the answer is that both (a) and (c) do not describe a T-shaped molecule.
Explanation
Analyze the problem The question asks which of the given options does NOT describe a T-shaped molecule. To determine this, we need to analyze the molecular geometry of each option based on the number of bonded electron pairs and lone pairs.
Evaluate option (a) (a) 2 bonded electron pairs and 2 lone pairs: This arrangement leads to a bent or angular molecular geometry. The bond angle is significantly less than 10 9 ∘ due to the strong repulsion from the two lone pairs. This is NOT a T-shaped molecule.
Evaluate option (b) (b) 3 bonded electron pairs and 2 lone pairs: This arrangement results in a T-shaped molecular geometry. The bond angles are approximately 9 0 ∘ .
Evaluate option (c) (c) 3 bonded electron pairs and 3 lone pairs: This arrangement leads to a linear molecular geometry. The bond angles are 18 0 ∘ and 9 0 ∘ . This is NOT a T-shaped molecule.
Identify the options that are not T-shaped Options (a) and (c) do not describe a T-shaped molecule.
Examples
Understanding molecular shapes is crucial in chemistry for predicting a molecule's reactivity and physical properties. For example, the T-shaped chlorine trifluoride ( Cl F 3 ) is a highly reactive fluorinating agent because of its shape and the lone pairs of electrons on the chlorine atom. Knowing the electron and molecular geometry helps chemists design and understand chemical reactions.
Options (A) and (C) do not describe a T-shaped molecule. Option (A) has a bent geometry due to 2 lone pairs, while (C) has too many lone pairs leading to a linear structure. The answer choice that does NOT describe a T-shaped molecule is both A and C.
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