Tetrahedral Geometry
Molecules of methane, CH4, ammonia, NH3, and water, H2O, all have 4 electron groups around their central atom, so they all have a tetrahedral shape, which yields bond angles of about 109.5°. For CH4 molecules, all 4 groups are bond groups. The NH3 molecules have 3 bond groups and 1 lone pair, and the H2O molecules have 2 bond groups and 2 lone pairs.
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Methane, CH4 |
Ammonia, NH3 |
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Water, H2O |
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