Question

draw the lewis electron dot structure for h₃o⁺. what is the vsepr shape of this particle? tetrahedral trigonal pyramidal linear trigonal planar

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the total number of valence electrons

Hydrogen has 1 valence electron, and there are 3 hydrogen atoms. Oxygen has 6 valence electrons. Since the ion has a +1 charge (loses 1 electron), the total number of valence electrons is \(3\times1 + 6- 1=8\).

Step2: Determine the central atom

The central atom is oxygen.

Step3: Distribute the electrons

Oxygen forms single bonds with 3 hydrogen atoms, using 6 electrons. The remaining 2 electrons form a lone pair on oxygen.

Step4: Apply VSEPR theory

The electron - pair geometry around oxygen is tetrahedral (4 electron - pairs: 3 bonding pairs and 1 lone pair). But the molecular geometry (VSEPR shape) is trigonal pyramidal because we only consider the positions of the atoms.

Answer:

trigonal pyramidal