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Topic: why is SF2 an angular molecule?  (Read 9196 times)

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Offline jennielynn_1980

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why is SF2 an angular molecule?
« on: July 31, 2006, 09:48:07 PM »
Is SF2 angular because it is like an H2O molecule where the there are 4 sp3 hybrid  orbitals and the unbonded pairs of electrons in 2 sp3 orbitals repel each other more so than the bonded electrons making it an angular molecule?

Or, do the fluorines just bond to the 3py and 3pz orbitals?  If this is the case, what would make the molecule angular?

Thanks :)
« Last Edit: July 31, 2006, 10:42:17 PM by jennielynn_1980 »

Offline Mitch

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Re: why is SF2 an angular molecule?
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2006, 10:21:41 PM »
The oxygen has 2 Hydrogens attached to it and it has 2 pairs of non-bonding electrons for a total of 4 things around the oxygen. The most likely way to arange 4 things around any object would be to have everything on the same plane or in a tetrahedron. To maximize the distance between 2 non-bonding electron pairs it will assume a tetrahedral shape.
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Offline jennielynn_1980

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Re: why is SF2 an angular molecule?
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2006, 10:43:48 PM »
H2O is not a tetrahedron really though.  I mean it is but it is not symmetrical.  I understand the bond angle of H2O is 104.5.  I just can't figure out why SF2 is angular because it is like H2O or for another reason.

Offline Mitch

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Re: why is SF2 an angular molecule?
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2006, 01:36:49 AM »
Because its like H2O
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Offline jennielynn_1980

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Re: why is SF2 an angular molecule?
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2006, 08:43:20 AM »
Thanks Mitch  :D  Is that what you were trying to tell me in the first place but I was too thick to figure it out?  If so, sorry.

Offline Mitch

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Re: why is SF2 an angular molecule?
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2006, 11:19:28 AM »
Yeah, basically. ;)
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