Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR)
See display options below for lone pairs and multiple bonds.
SN*
Lone
pairs
Molecular Geometry
Example
Bond
angle
2
0
Linear
H
C
N
180°
0
Linear
C
O
2
180°
0
Linear
H
C
CH
180°
0
Linear
Be
H
2
180°
1
Linear
HC
N
1
Linear
N
2
3
0
Trigonal planar
C
O
3
-2
120°
0
Trigonal planar
N
O
3
–
120°
0
Trigonal planar
B
H
3
120°
0
Trigonal planar
H
2
C
O
116.1 HCH
121.9 HCO
0
Trigonal planar
C
Cl
2
CCl
2
115.7 ClCCl
122.2 ClCC
1
Angular or bent
O
3
116.8°
1
Angular or bent
N
O
2
–
115°
2
Linear
O
2
2
Linear
C
O
2
4
0
Tetrahedral
C
H
4
109.5°
0
Tetrahedral
N
H
4
+
109.5°
0
Tetrahedral
C
H
3
CH
3
108 HCH
110.9 HCC
0
Tetrahedral
C
H
3
NH
2
108.4 HCH
110 HCN
0
Tetrahedral
C
H
3
OH
109.0 HCH
109.9 HCO
0
Tetrahedral
B
H
3
NH
3
113.5 HBH
105.0 HBN
0
Tetrahedral
BH
3
N
H
3
107.9 HNH
111.0 HNB
1
Trigonal pyramidal
N
H
3
107.8°
1
Trigonal pyramidal
CH
3
N
H
2
105.8 HNH
111 HNC
2
Angular or bent
H
2
O
104.5°
2
Angular or bent
CH
3
O
H
108.9°
3
Linear
H
Cl
3
Linear
Cl
2
5
0
Trigonal bipyramidal
P
Cl
5
120, 180°
1
Seesaw
S
F
4
102, 173°
2
T shaped
Br
F
3
86, 172°
3
Linear
I
3
–
180°
3
Linear
Xe
F
2
180°
6
0
Octahedral
S
F
6
90, 180°
1
Square pyramidal
Br
F
5
85, 170°
2
Square planar
Xe
F
4
90, 180°
*Steric number (SN) is atoms plus lone pairs
Display options
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Stick
Lines
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Lone Pairs
Multiple bonds
Spin
Antialias
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Bond angles from
National Institute of Standards and Technology
.
This page created by George Lisensky, Beloit College.
Last modified August 26, 2023.
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