VSEPR - formaldehyde

2. Count BP’s and LP’s:

At Carbon there are 4 BP but . . .

3. These are distributed in ONLY 3 regions.

Double bond electron pairs are in same region.

There are 3 regions of electron density

Electron repulsion places them at the corners of a planar triangle.

Both the electron pair geometry and the molecular geometry are PLANAR TRIGONAL ? 120o bond angles.

Formaldehyde, CH2O

1. Draw electron dot structure

H2CO at the C atom is an AX3 species

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