Question

There are five different trigonal bipyramidal electron geometries, what are the names of all of them?

A) Trigonal Planar, Tetrahedral, Octahedral, Square Planar, Linear
B) Linear, Bent, Trigonal Pyramidal, Tetrahedral, Octahedral
C) Trigonal Bipyramidal, Octahedral, Square Pyramidal, Linear, Bent
D) Bent, Tetrahedral, Trigonal Planar, Linear, Trigonal Pyramidal

Answer 1

The five molecular geometries that can result from a trigonal bipyramidal electron-pair geometry are seesaw, T-shaped, linear, and the regular trigonal bipyramidal shape; bent is not typically a product of a trigonal bipyramidal electron geometry.

Step-by-step explanation:

The five different molecular geometries that can arise from a trigonal bipyramidal electron-pair geometry are based on the arrangements of the bonded atoms and the lone pairs of electrons around the central atom. When there are no lone pairs on the central atom, the molecular geometry is simply trigonal bipyramidal. As lone pairs are added, and bond pairs are replaced by lone pairs, different molecular shapes are formed, each minimizing electron pair repulsions to create stable structures. The names of these shapes associated with a trigonal bipyramidal electron-pair geometry are:

1. Seesaw - when there is one lone pair in an equatorial position.
2. T-shaped - when there are two lone pairs occupying equatorial positions.
3. Linear - when there are three lone pairs, with two in equatorial positions and one axial.
4. The regular trigonal bipyramidal shape occurs with no lone pairs.
5. The bent shape is not typically associated with trigonal bipyramidal electron geometries but rather with tetrahedral electron geometries where there are two lone pairs like in water (H2O).

The listed molecular structures explain the electron-pair repulsion theory, where shapes adjust to minimize repulsion between valence electron pairs around a central atom.