Honors Chemistry Worksheet printable pdf download

Honors Chemistry Worksheet

VSERP introduction

Self-Guided

Honors Chemistry

Name ________________________

1. Draw the bonding of methane, CH

2. In your drawing, what is the angle formed by each H-C-H? ________

The actual shape of the molecule isn’t as you drew it in #1. We’ll get to why in a second. First, though,

we need to talk a little about the VSEPR theory.

3. VSEPR is an acronym. What is it an acronym for?

V _____________ S____________ E ______________ P ____________ R _____________

Let’s break that down.

4. From the VSEP, what are determines the shape of the molecule?

5. From the R, what do those valence shell electron pairs do to each other? ____________________

If the methane molecule is given freedom to move into the third dimension, the electron pairs can

repel further apart than the ninety degrees that you drew.

6. From page 232 in your textbook, what angle actually exists between H-C-H in methane when it’s in

its real, three-dimensional shape?

7. What is the name of the shape that a methane molecule takes? ___________________

8. Describe where in my room (not just ‘from the ceiling’) there is a tetrahedral molecule model like

methane.

9. What colors are the five atoms in the molecular model for methane that hangs in my room?

carbon _________________

hydrogen __________________

The VSEPR model depends on the number of shared and unshared electron pairs around the central

atom.

10. How many shared pairs of electrons are there around the central C in methane? ___________

11. How many unshared pairs of electrons are there around the central C in methane? __________

Any atom with 4 shared pairs and 0 unshared pairs of electrons around the central atom will be

tetrahedral because 4 electron pairs can’t be more than 109.5 ° apart.

Honors Chemistry Worksheet