What is the shape of a molecule with the formula AX3E?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the shape of a molecule with the formula AX3E?
Trigonal planar
Tetrahedral
Trigonal pyramidal
Bent
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the shape of a molecule with the formula AX3E?
Step 1: Identify the components of the formula AX3E. 'A' is the central atom, 'X' represents atoms bonded to 'A', and 'E' represents a lone pair of electrons on 'A'.
Step 2: Count the number of bonding pairs. In AX3E, there are 3 'X' atoms, which means there are 3 bonding pairs.
Step 3: Count the number of lone pairs. In AX3E, there is 1 'E', which means there is 1 lone pair.
Step 4: Determine the molecular geometry. With 3 bonding pairs and 1 lone pair, the shape is trigonal pyramidal.