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Why is the nitrogen trichloride molecule pyramidal shape but boron trichloride molecule trigonal planar?
Nitrogen, has 5 electrons in its outer shell, Boron has only 3.
When Nitrogen Bonds with 3 Chlorine atoms, to become NCl3, it still has 2 electrons left in its outer shell, which form a lone pair. As these could bond to a single proton, (i.e. hydrogen without its electron) they have to be shown in the diagram.
NCl3 therefore has 3 bonds and 1 lone pair, so 4 things to show in the bond diagram. Making it trigonal pyramidal.
However, Boron only has 3 electrons to bond. As these are all used up in the bonds with chlorine, there are only 3 bonding pairs to show in the diagram. Therefore it is trigonal planar.
NCl3 has bond angles of 107 degrees
whereas
BCl3 has bond angles of 120 degrees.
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CoachNitrogen trichloride is pyramidal because of its lone pair of electrons, which causes the nitrogen atom to distort the molecule into a pyramidal shape to minimize electron repulsion. Boron trichloride lacks a lone pair on the boron atom, resulting in a trigonal planar shape due to the three bonding pairs of electrons being spread evenly in the plane around the boron atom.
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What is the molecular geometry of nitrogen tribromide?
The molecular geometry of nitrogen tribromide (NBr3) is trigonal pyramidal. Nitrogen has a lone pair of electrons, causing the three bromine atoms to form a trigonal pyramid around the central nitrogen atom.
What is the ammonia molecular shape?
The molecular shape of ammonia (NH3) is trigonal pyramidal. It has a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom, causing the molecule to have a distorted tetrahedral shape.
What is the bond type for nitrogen trifluoride?
Nitrogen trifluoride has a covalent bond type. It forms when one nitrogen atom shares its three valence electrons with three fluorine atoms, resulting in a molecule with a trigonal pyramidal shape.
What is molecular structure of ammonia?
The molecular structure of ammonia (NH3) consists of one nitrogen atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms with a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom. The molecule is trigonal pyramidal in shape with the nitrogen atom at the apex.
What does the formula NH3 tell you about each molecule of ammonia?
The formula NH3 tells us that each molecule of ammonia consists of one nitrogen atom covalently bonded to three hydrogen atoms. This indicates that ammonia is a polar molecule with a trigonal pyramidal shape due to the lone pair on the nitrogen atom.
