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The Shapes of Molecules

Edexcel AS-level ChemistryDiscrete MoleculesLesson 6 of 25

Electron pairs arrange themselves around a central atom so that the repulsion between them is a minimum. This is known as the electron pair repulsion theory.

Shapes depend on the number of lone pairs and bonding pairs.

Diagram

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Key terms in this lesson

lone pair
A pair of outer shell electrons on an atom that is not involved in bonding.

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