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The Chemical Educator
ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 23
(2018) pp 82-86
Orbital Hybridization and
Repulsion in Structural Analogies and Fallacies
James E. House
Department of Chemistry, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL 61701, jhouse@iwu.edu
Received March 27, 2018. Accepted April 18, 2018.
Published: 30 April 2017
Abstract. The
Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory is one of the most
successful of the elementary ways to explain molecular geometry and deviations
from the bond angles predicted for hybrid orbitals. However, it is necessary to
invoke other factors to explain in a satisfactory manner the fact that the bond
angle in NH3 is 107.3o whereas that in PH3 is
only 93.3o and the greatly different basicity of the molecules.
Moreover, there are other simple molecules for which additional influences are
involved, and they must be considered in order to explain structural features.
In this report, electron repulsion and orbital hybridization are considered in
explaining bond angles in hydride molecules having formulas EHn (n = 2−4) and other molecules such as X2C=O (where
X = F, Cl, Br, or H). Bond strengths and other features related to molecular
structure are also considered.
Key Words: In the Classroom; general chemistry
(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: jhouse@iwu.edu)
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