VSEPR Theory

• Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory

• “Electron pairs around atoms tend to be as far apart as possible.”

• Similar charges (I.e., negative charges from electrons) tend to repel each other and want to be spaced apart at maximum angles.

• Used to predict molecular geometries

• Bond angles

– Angles between bonds

– Spacing apart as far as possible

• Lone pairs of electrons will repel bonded atoms a bit more than expected toward each other around the central atom

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