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When does the electron pair geometry match the molecular structure exactly?
AWhen the central atom has one lone pair
BWhen every bond in the molecule is polar
CWhen the central atom carries a charge
DWhen the central atom has no lone pairs
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. When the central atom has no lone pairs
1. Electron pair geometry counts every region of electron density, both bonds and lone pairs.
2. Molecular structure names only where the atoms sit, so lone pairs are left out of it.
3. With no lone pairs on the central atom the two descriptions count the same things and agree.
4. Methane is the standard case, tetrahedral by both descriptions, while ammonia is not.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section Electron-pair Geometry versus Molecular Structure_
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