Question

note: to answer some of the questions, it may help to reference a periodic table.
using the vsper theory, what is the shape of ch₂cl₂?
trigonal pyramidal shape because there are four shared pairs of electrons and no lone pairs of electrons in the bond
linear shape because the atoms are all nonmetals with low electronegativity, which will have equal repulsion forces on each other
bent because the chlorine atoms will push the hydrogen and carbon atoms farther away from them and closer to each other due to their greater electronegativity
tetrahedral shape because there are four shared pairs of electrons and no lone pairs of electrons in the bond

Explanation:

• For \(CH_2Cl_2\), the central atom is \(C\).
• According to VSEPR theory, the number of electron - pair around the central atom \(C\) is calculated as follows: The formula for the number of electron - pairs (\(n\)) around the central atom is \(n=\frac{V + M - C+A}{2}\), where \(V\) is the number of valence electrons of the central atom (\(V = 4\) for \(C\)), \(M\) is the number of monovalent atoms (\(M=2 + 2=4\) for \(2H\) and \(2Cl\)), \(C\) is the charge on cation (here \(C = 0\)), and \(A\) is the charge on anion (here \(A=0\)). So \(n=\frac{4 + 4-0 + 0}{2}=4\).
• When the number of electron - pairs (\(n = 4\)) and there are no lone pairs (because all 4 electron - pairs are used in bonding: \(2\) \(C - H\) and \(2\) \(C - Cl\) bonds), the molecular geometry is tetrahedral.
• Trigonal pyramidal shape occurs when \(n = 4\) (one lone pair and three bonding pairs). Linear shape (\(n=2\) with no lone pairs). Bent shape (\(n = 3\) with one lone pair or \(n=4\) with two lone pairs).

Answer:

tetrahedral shape because there are four shared pairs of electrons and no lone pairs of electrons in the bond.