CHE 140/170 – VSEPR Shapes
VSEPR Shapes
We learned our letters, numbers, and shapes by repeated exposure and constant practice.
Many times
children are drilled over these with flashcards. Now that we are learning our VSEPR shapes, we will
have to use this same method to learn these new terms! We can’t expect to know what all of the VSEPR
shape names by just reading over them once just like we don’t expect children to know all the typical
geometric shape names by just showing them once.
Use the notecards here, and make more if you need to, to help you learn these new shapes!
Remember
that each of these VSEPR shapes have two types of shape names:
 name includes all groups (electrons in bonds and lone pairs) it is called electron group geometry or
orbital geometry
 name includes only electrons in bonds (not lone pairs) it is called molecular geometry or shape.
The real molecules are drawn to imply their VSEPR shape.
The molecules on the cards with extra
border using X and Y are usually not drawn to imply their VSEPR shape. You will have to ignore the
presents arrangement and name according to how it should be properly drawn! On the exams, they will
not necessarily be drawn to imply their VSEPR shape.
VSEPR.docx
Page 1 of 5
CHE 140/170 – VSEPR Shapes
O
C
O
F
O
B
S
F
O
F
H
C
H
N
H
H
H
F
F
H
H
O
H
H
F
F
P
S
F
F
F
Br
F
F
F
F
F
X
F
S
F
F
F
F
Y
Y
F
X
Y
X
Y
VSEPR.docx
F
F
Y
Y
X
Xe
F
Y
Y
F
F
Y
Y
Br
F
F
F
F
Y
Xe
F
F
Y
X
Y
Y
Page 2 of 5
CHE 140/170 – VSEPR Shapes
orbital geometry:
trigonal planar
shape: bent
bond angles: <120º
orbital geometry:
tetrahedral
shape: bent
bond angles: <109.5º
orbital geometry:
trigonal bipyramidal
shape: T-shaped
bond angles: <90º
orbital geometry:
trigonal bipyramidal
shape: linear
bond angles: 180º
orbital geometry:
octahedral
shape: square planar
bond angles: 90º
orbital geometry:
tetrahedral
shape: trigonal
pyramidal
bond angles: <109.5º
VSEPR.docx
orbital geometry &
shape: trigonal planar
orbital geometry &
shape: linear
bond angles: 120º
bond angles: 180º
orbital geometry:
tetrahedral
shape: trigonal
pyramidal
orbital geometry &
shape: tetrahedral
bond angles: 109.5º
bond angles: <109.5º
orbital geometry:
trigonal bipyramidal
shape: seesaw
orbital geometry &
shape: trigonal
bipyramidal
bond angles: <90º &
<120º
bond angles: 90º &
120º
orbital geometry &
shape: octahedral
bond angles: 90º
orbital geometry:
octahedral
shape: square
pyramidal
bond angles: <90º
orbital geometry &
shape: trigonal planar
orbital geometry &
shape: linear
bond angles: 120º
bond angles: 180º
orbital geometry &
shape: tetrahedral
bond angles: 109.5º
orbital geometry:
trigonal planar
shape: bent
bond angles: <120º
Page 3 of 5
CHE 140/170 – VSEPR Shapes
Y
Y
Y
X
Y
Y
Y
X
Y
Y
Y
Y
X
Y
VSEPR.docx
Y
X
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
X
X
Y
Y
X
Y
Y
Y
X
Y
Y
Y
Page 4 of 5
CHE 140/170 – VSEPR Shapes
orbital geometry:
trigonal bipyramidal
orbital geometry:
tetrahedral
shape: seesaw
orbital geometry &
shape: trigonal
bipyramidal
bond angles: <90º &
<120º
bond angles: 90º &
120º
bond angles: <109.5º
orbital geometry:
trigonal bipyramidal
orbital geometry:
trigonal bipyramidal
shape: T-shaped
shape: linear
bond angles: <90º
bond angles: 180º
orbital geometry:
octahedral
shape: square planar
bond angles: 90º
VSEPR.docx
shape: bent
orbital geometry &
shape: octahedral
bond angles: 90º
orbital geometry:
octahedral
shape: square
pyramidal
bond angles: <90º
Page 5 of 5