alleryStart learning →What arrangement of electron pairs does VSEPR theory predict a molecule will adopt?
AThe one packing pairs closest together
BThe one aligning pairs along one axis
CThe one placing the pairs furthest apart
DThe one pairing them with the nucleus
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The one placing the pairs furthest apart
1. Electron pairs are all negatively charged, so they repel one another.
2. VSEPR assumes the pairs settle into whichever arrangement makes that repulsion as small as possible.
3. Repulsion falls as the pairs get further apart, so they spread to the maximum separation available.
4. Counting the regions of electron density then gives the geometry and the approximate bond angles.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section VSEPR Theory_
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