VSEPR Flashcards: Molecular Geometry & Bond Angles

Practice VSEPR shapes, electron geometry, lone pairs, AXE notation, and ideal bond angles with 78 focused English flashcards.

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Practice VSEPR molecular geometry with 78 English flashcards for high-school and introductory-college chemistry. You should already be able to read simple formulas and Lewis structures. This is focused shape prediction and recall, not a complete chemistry course.

Cards map electron-domain counts to electron geometry; AXE notation to molecular shape and, where lone pairs change the shape, to electron geometry; and selected molecular formulas to shape. Separate prompts retrieve ideal bond-angle benchmarks. A few reverse prompts recover AXE notation from a shape plus its domain count. Contrast and error-diagnosis questions distinguish electron geometry from molecular geometry, count multiple bonds correctly, and show why a shape name alone may not determine the domain count or an exact angle.

The 13 cases are AX₂; AX₃ and AX₂E; AX₄, AX₃E, and AX₂E₂; AX₅, AX₄E, AX₃E₂, and AX₂E₃; and AX₆, AX₅E, and AX₄E₂. Later cards cover axial and equatorial sites, usual lone-pair placements, and ideal versus actual angles. The sequence starts with domains and notation, develops two-to-four-domain cases, then interleaves five- and six-domain cases before final comparisons. Related prompts are separated; the review scheduler handles longer-term spacing.

Practice is text based. Diagram identification, exhaustive Lewis-structure construction, formal charges, polarity, radicals, transition-metal coordination, seven-domain cases, hybridization, and molecular-orbital theory are excluded to keep the deck focused. Shape-to-molecule lists and every possible reverse mapping are omitted because many answers would be valid. Numerical species-angle tables are omitted: ideal benchmarks do not give exact measured angles for every molecule.

All cards carry the VSEPR tag. Original questions, answers, organization, and metadata were prepared with AI assistance and checked against university chemistry references. The cover is an original AI-generated illustration of a generic tetrahedral model; its colors do not identify elements. No source prose, diagrams, competitor cards, or examination questions were copied. Common chemical facts are not claimed as proprietary. Original material, including the generated cover to the extent applicable rights exist, is dedicated under CC0 1.0. This is independent study material, with no university, course, or examination endorsement.

Tarjetas de este mazo

  1. Tarjeta 1

    Pregunta

    In VSEPR, what is an electron domain around a central atom?

    Respuesta

    A region of electron density: one bond to a neighboring atom, regardless of bond order, or one lone pair.

  2. Tarjeta 2

    Pregunta

    What does the VSEPR model use to predict a central atom’s geometry?

    Respuesta

    Repulsion between electron domains. The domains favor an arrangement that reduces their mutual repulsion.

  3. Tarjeta 3

    Pregunta

    In AXₙEₘ notation, what does A represent?

    Respuesta

    The central atom whose local geometry is being described.

  4. Tarjeta 4

    Pregunta

    How do electron geometry and molecular geometry differ in VSEPR?

    Respuesta

    Electron geometry includes all electron domains. Molecular geometry describes the arrangement of atoms around the central atom, leaving lone pairs out of the shape name.

  5. Tarjeta 5

    Pregunta

    How many VSEPR domains does one triple bond contribute at either bonded atom?

    Respuesta

    One domain. Three shared electron pairs occupy one bonding direction.

  6. Tarjeta 6

    Pregunta

    In AXₙEₘ notation, what does n count?

    Respuesta

    Atoms directly bonded to the central atom. A double or triple bond still contributes one X.

  7. Tarjeta 7

    Pregunta

    For a molecule with several central atoms, where do you apply VSEPR?

    Respuesta

    At each central atom separately, using its own bonded neighbors and lone pairs.

  8. Tarjeta 8

    Pregunta

    In AXₙEₘ notation, what does m count?

    Respuesta

    Lone pairs on the central atom. E counts pairs, not individual electrons.

  9. Tarjeta 9

    Pregunta

    For an AXₙEₘ center in the usual closed-shell VSEPR model, how many electron domains are present?

    Respuesta

    n + m domains: bonded neighbors plus lone pairs.

  10. Tarjeta 10

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₂, with no lone pairs on A?

    Respuesta

    Linear. The two bonded atoms lie on opposite sides of the central atom.

  11. Tarjeta 11

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₃, with no lone pairs on A?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal planar. The central atom and three bonded atoms lie in one plane.

  12. Tarjeta 12

    Pregunta

    In an X–A–X bond angle, at which atom is the angle measured?

    Respuesta

    At A, the central atom, between the two bonds to X atoms.

  13. Tarjeta 13

    Pregunta

    Does a lone pair count as one VSEPR domain or two?

    Respuesta

    One domain. The pair contains two electrons, but it occupies one region around the central atom.

  14. Tarjeta 14

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₄, with no lone pairs on A?

    Respuesta

    Tetrahedral. The four bonded atoms occupy the corners of a tetrahedron around A.

  15. Tarjeta 15

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₂E?

    Respuesta

    Bent, also called angular or V-shaped. There are two bonded atoms and one lone pair around A.

  16. Tarjeta 16

    Pregunta

    What is the ideal X–A–X bond angle in AX₂ with no lone pairs?

    Respuesta

    180°.

  17. Tarjeta 17

    Pregunta

    What electron geometry does VSEPR assign to three domains around a central atom?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal planar.

  18. Tarjeta 18

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₃E?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal pyramidal. Three bonded atoms and one lone pair occupy four electron domains.

  19. Tarjeta 19

    Pregunta

    What is the ideal X–A–X bond angle in tetrahedral AX₄?

    Respuesta

    About 109.5°.

  20. Tarjeta 20

    Pregunta

    A central atom has two bonded neighbors and two lone pairs. What is its AXE notation?

    Respuesta

    AX₂E₂.

  21. Tarjeta 21

    Pregunta

    What is the ideal X–A–X bond angle in trigonal planar AX₃?

    Respuesta

    120°.

  22. Tarjeta 22

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₂E₂?

    Respuesta

    Bent, also called angular or V-shaped. Two lone pairs occupy the other two domains.

  23. Tarjeta 23

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₃E?

    Respuesta

    Tetrahedral: three bonding domains plus one lone-pair domain.

  24. Tarjeta 24

    Pregunta

    In O=C=O, how many electron domains surround carbon?

    Respuesta

    Two domains. Each C=O double bond counts once.

  25. Tarjeta 25

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₂E?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal planar: two bonding domains plus one lone-pair domain.

  26. Tarjeta 26

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict around carbon in CH₄?

    Respuesta

    Tetrahedral. Carbon has four bonded neighbors and no lone pairs.

  27. Tarjeta 27

    Pregunta

    A learner counts a double bond as two VSEPR domains. What should they correct?

    Respuesta

    Count it as one domain. Bond order changes the number of shared electrons, not the number of bonded directions.

  28. Tarjeta 28

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict around nitrogen in NH₃?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal pyramidal. Nitrogen has three bonded neighbors and one lone pair.

  29. Tarjeta 29

    Pregunta

    What electron geometry does VSEPR assign to four domains around a central atom?

    Respuesta

    Tetrahedral.

  30. Tarjeta 30

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict around oxygen in H₂O?

    Respuesta

    Bent. Oxygen has two bonded neighbors and two lone pairs.

  31. Tarjeta 31

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict around carbon in the carbonate ion, CO₃²⁻?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal planar. The three C–O bonding directions give three domains, even when a Lewis structure shows one double bond.

  32. Tarjeta 32

    Pregunta

    In the simple VSEPR model, how does a central lone pair usually affect neighboring bond angles?

    Respuesta

    It tends to compress nearby bond angles because its electron density occupies more space near the central atom. This is a qualitative tendency, not a fixed number of degrees.

  33. Tarjeta 33

    Pregunta

    A VSEPR center is trigonal pyramidal with four total domains. What is its AXE notation?

    Respuesta

    AX₃E: three bonded atoms and one lone pair.

  34. Tarjeta 34

    Pregunta

    Which two common AXE cases give a bent molecular shape with three or four total domains?

    Respuesta

    AX₂E with three domains, and AX₂E₂ with four domains. Their electron geometries differ.

  35. Tarjeta 35

    Pregunta

    What electron geometry does VSEPR assign to five domains around a central atom?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal bipyramidal.

  36. Tarjeta 36

    Pregunta

    What electron geometry does VSEPR assign to six domains around a central atom?

    Respuesta

    Octahedral.

  37. Tarjeta 37

    Pregunta

    Does an ideal VSEPR angle give the exact measured angle in every molecule of that shape?

    Respuesta

    No. It is a geometric benchmark; lone pairs and the bonding environment can change actual angles.

  38. Tarjeta 38

    Pregunta

    How many axial and equatorial positions are in a trigonal bipyramid?

    Respuesta

    Two axial positions and three equatorial positions.

  39. Tarjeta 39

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₅, with no lone pairs on A?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal bipyramidal.

  40. Tarjeta 40

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₆, with no lone pairs on A?

    Respuesta

    Octahedral.

  41. Tarjeta 41

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₄E in the usual lowest-repulsion arrangement?

    Respuesta

    Seesaw. The lone pair occupies an equatorial position in a trigonal-bipyramidal domain arrangement.

  42. Tarjeta 42

    Pregunta

    In an ideal trigonal bipyramid, what is the angle between two equatorial bonds?

    Respuesta

    120°.

  43. Tarjeta 43

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₃E₂ in the usual lowest-repulsion arrangement?

    Respuesta

    T-shaped. Both lone pairs occupy equatorial positions.

  44. Tarjeta 44

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₅E?

    Respuesta

    Square pyramidal. One lone pair occupies the sixth position of an octahedral domain arrangement.

  45. Tarjeta 45

    Pregunta

    In an ideal trigonal bipyramid, what is the angle between an axial bond and an equatorial bond?

    Respuesta

    90°.

  46. Tarjeta 46

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₂E₃ in the usual lowest-repulsion arrangement?

    Respuesta

    Linear. Three equatorial lone pairs leave the two bonded atoms in opposite axial positions.

  47. Tarjeta 47

    Pregunta

    VSEPR molecular shape of AX₄E₂ in the usual lowest-repulsion arrangement?

    Respuesta

    Square planar. Two opposite lone pairs leave four bonded atoms in a square around A.

  48. Tarjeta 48

    Pregunta

    In a trigonal-bipyramidal domain arrangement, which sites do lone pairs preferentially occupy?

    Respuesta

    Equatorial sites, in the usual VSEPR arrangements with one to three lone pairs.

  49. Tarjeta 49

    Pregunta

    Which X–A–X angles occur in an ideal octahedral AX₆ molecule?

    Respuesta

    90° between adjacent bonds and 180° between opposite bonds.

  50. Tarjeta 50

    Pregunta

    A VSEPR center has a seesaw shape and five total domains. What is its AXE notation?

    Respuesta

    AX₄E.

  51. Tarjeta 51

    Pregunta

    A VSEPR center has a T-shaped molecular geometry and five total domains. What is its AXE notation?

    Respuesta

    AX₃E₂.

  52. Tarjeta 52

    Pregunta

    In an ideal trigonal bipyramid, what is the angle between its two axial bonds?

    Respuesta

    180°. The axial positions lie on opposite sides of the central atom.

  53. Tarjeta 53

    Pregunta

    A VSEPR center is square pyramidal with six total domains. What is its AXE notation?

    Respuesta

    AX₅E.

  54. Tarjeta 54

    Pregunta

    In the usual octahedral AX₄E₂ arrangement, how are the two lone pairs positioned relative to each other?

    Respuesta

    Opposite each other, 180° apart in the ideal domain arrangement.

  55. Tarjeta 55

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict for an isolated SF₄ molecule?

    Respuesta

    Seesaw. Sulfur has four bonded fluorine atoms and one lone pair.

  56. Tarjeta 56

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict for an isolated XeF₂ molecule?

    Respuesta

    Linear. Xenon has two bonded fluorine atoms and three lone pairs.

  57. Tarjeta 57

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₃E₂?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal bipyramidal: three bonding domains plus two lone-pair domains.

  58. Tarjeta 58

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict for an isolated BrF₅ molecule?

    Respuesta

    Square pyramidal. Bromine has five bonded fluorine atoms and one lone pair.

  59. Tarjeta 59

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict for an isolated XeF₄ molecule?

    Respuesta

    Square planar. Xenon has four bonded fluorine atoms and two opposite lone pairs.

  60. Tarjeta 60

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₄E?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal bipyramidal: four bonding domains plus one lone-pair domain.

  61. Tarjeta 61

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict for an isolated ClF₃ molecule?

    Respuesta

    T-shaped. Chlorine has three bonded fluorine atoms and two equatorial lone pairs.

  62. Tarjeta 62

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₅E?

    Respuesta

    Octahedral: five bonding domains plus one lone-pair domain.

  63. Tarjeta 63

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₂E₃?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal bipyramidal: two bonding domains plus three lone-pair domains.

  64. Tarjeta 64

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict for an isolated SF₆ molecule?

    Respuesta

    Octahedral. Sulfur has six bonded fluorine atoms and no lone pairs.

  65. Tarjeta 65

    Pregunta

    Which bond angles occur in an idealized T-shaped AX₃E₂ arrangement?

    Respuesta

    90° and 180°. These are parent-geometry benchmarks; a real molecule can be distorted.

  66. Tarjeta 66

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₄E₂?

    Respuesta

    Octahedral: four bonding domains plus two lone-pair domains.

  67. Tarjeta 67

    Pregunta

    Why does an octahedral VSEPR arrangement have six domains despite the name’s reference to eight?

    Respuesta

    The six domains point toward the six vertices of an octahedron. Eight refers to the solid’s faces.

  68. Tarjeta 68

    Pregunta

    Why does a lone pair in AX₄E favor an equatorial site over an axial site?

    Respuesta

    An equatorial site has two 90° interactions with other domains; an axial site has three. The equatorial choice reduces these close repulsions.

  69. Tarjeta 69

    Pregunta

    Which common AXE cases give a linear molecular shape with two or five total domains?

    Respuesta

    AX₂ with two domains, and AX₂E₃ with five domains. A linear shape alone does not determine the electron geometry.

  70. Tarjeta 70

    Pregunta

    Which bond angles occur in an idealized square-pyramidal AX₅E arrangement?

    Respuesta

    90° and 180°. Actual angles can deviate from these octahedral parent benchmarks.

  71. Tarjeta 71

    Pregunta

    A VSEPR center is square planar with six total domains. What is its AXE notation?

    Respuesta

    AX₄E₂.

  72. Tarjeta 72

    Pregunta

    A learner assigns every bent molecule the same bond angle. What information are they missing?

    Respuesta

    The electron-domain arrangement and the particular molecule. Bent includes AX₂E and AX₂E₂, and actual angles depend on the species.

  73. Tarjeta 73

    Pregunta

    A learner calls NH₃ tetrahedral because nitrogen has four domains. What shape distinction resolves the error?

    Respuesta

    Tetrahedral is its electron geometry. Its molecular geometry is trigonal pyramidal because only the three bonded atoms define that shape.

  74. Tarjeta 74

    Pregunta

    Why can four bonded atoms give tetrahedral AX₄ but square planar AX₄E₂?

    Respuesta

    AX₄ has four total domains. AX₄E₂ has six total domains, with two opposite lone pairs in an octahedral arrangement.

  75. Tarjeta 75

    Pregunta

    Which ideal parent angles are the benchmarks for an AX₄E seesaw arrangement?

    Respuesta

    90°, 120°, and 180° from trigonal-bipyramidal electron geometry. Lone-pair repulsion can distort the actual bond angles.

  76. Tarjeta 76

    Pregunta

    What molecular shape does VSEPR predict for an isolated PF₅ molecule?

    Respuesta

    Trigonal bipyramidal. Phosphorus has five bonded fluorine atoms and no lone pairs.

  77. Tarjeta 77

    Pregunta

    What is the electron geometry around A in AX₂E₂?

    Respuesta

    Tetrahedral: two bonding domains plus two lone-pair domains.

  78. Tarjeta 78

    Pregunta

    Which X–A–X bond angles occur in an ideal square-planar AX₄E₂ arrangement?

    Respuesta

    90° between adjacent bonds and 180° between opposite bonds.

A generic tetrahedral ball-and-stick model with an orange center and four teal neighbors against a dark blue background.

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VSEPR Flashcards: Molecular Geometry & Bond Angles

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