That distinction matters because the arrangement counting all electron pairs and the arrangement of the atoms alone are:
AOnly for gases
BNot the same thing
CAlways the same
DNever related
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Not the same thing
1. Electron-pair geometry counts lone pairs as well as bonds.
2. Molecular structure records only where the atoms sit.
3. They coincide only when there are no lone pairs, so they are not the same thing.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry 2e, Chapter 7, Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry._
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