Which of the following compounds has a trigonal planar geometry?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following compounds has a trigonal planar geometry?
CH4
BF3
NH3
H2O
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following compounds has a trigonal planar geometry?
Step 1: Understand what trigonal planar geometry means. It refers to a shape where three atoms are arranged around a central atom in a flat triangle, all at 120-degree angles.
Step 2: Identify the central atom in the compound BF3, which is boron (B).
Step 3: Check how many bonds boron forms in BF3. Boron forms three bonds with three fluorine (F) atoms.
Step 4: Determine the hybridization of boron in BF3. Since boron forms three bonds and has no lone pairs, it undergoes sp2 hybridization.
Step 5: Recognize that sp2 hybridization leads to trigonal planar geometry, confirming that BF3 has this shape.