Final answer:
The five shapes that maximize separation of outer atoms are linear, trigonal planar, tetrahedral, trigonal bipyramid, and octahedral, according to VSEPR theory which predicts molecular shapes based on electron pair repulsions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The five molecular shapes that maximize the separation of outer atoms are:
- Linear – With two electron groups, atoms or electron pairs are placed at opposite ends of a central atom, achieving a 180° angle.
- Trigonal planar – With three electron groups, atoms are arranged in an equilateral triangle around the central atom, with 120° angles between each pair.
- Tetrahedral – When there are four electron groups, they are positioned at the corners of a tetrahedron with bond angles of about 109.5°.
- Trigonal bipyramid – With five electron groups, the best arrangement minimizes repulsions by placing them in a trigonal bipyramidal structure.
- Octahedral – For six electron groups, an octahedral shape is formed, where each group is 90° apart from the others.
The shape of molecules is crucial to their physical properties and chemical reactivity and is predicted by the valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory. VSEPR suggests that electron pairs repel each other and thus molecules adopt shapes that minimize these repulsions.