QQuestionChemistry
QuestionChemistry
# Draw the Lewis structure for chloroform, $\mathrm{CHCl}_{3}$.
What are the electron pair and molecular geometries?
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Answer
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Step 1:: Determine the total number of valence electrons in the molecule.
The total number of valence electrons in chloroform is: \text{Total valence electrons} = 4\ \text{(carbon)} + 1\ \text{(hydrogen)} + 3 \times 7\ \text{(chlorine)} = 25\ \text{valence electrons}
Step 2:: Place the atoms in the Lewis structure and distribute the octet.
\begin{matrix}
Place the central carbon atom and surround it with hydrogen and chlorine atoms. Then, add enough bonds to give each atom an octet (except for hydrogen, which needs only two electrons to complete its duplet). \mathrm{H}-\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{Cl} \ | \ \mathrm{Cl}-\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{Cl} \ | \ \mathrm{Cl} \end{matrix}
Step 3:: Add remaining valence electrons as lone pairs.
\begin{matrix}
Add the remaining valence electrons as lone pairs on the chlorine atoms to complete their octets. \mathrm{H}-\mathrm{C}\begin{matrix} \mathrm{Cl} \ \underline{\hspace{0.5cm}} \ \mathrm{Cl} \end{matrix}-\mathrm{Cl} \ | \ \mathrm{Cl}-\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{Cl} \ | \ \mathrm{Cl} \end{matrix} \qquad \begin{matrix} \text{Total valence electrons:} \ 2 \times 6\ (\text{C-Cl bonds}) + 1\ (\text{C-H bond}) + 3 \times 2\ (\text{lone pairs}) = 25\ \text{valence electrons} \end{matrix}
Step 4:: Determine the electron pair geometry.
\text{Electron pairs around C} = 4\ (\text{C-Cl bonds}) + 1\ (\text{C-H bond}) + 0\ (\text{lone pairs}) = 5
For the central carbon atom, count the number of electron pairs (bonding and nonbonding) around it: The electron pair geometry around the central carbon atom is trigonal bipyramidal.
Step 5:: Determine the molecular geometry.
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Step 6:: Identify the molecular shape.
In this case, there are three identical groups (Cl atoms) around the central carbon atom, so the molecular shape is determined by the arrangement of these groups in the trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The three Cl atoms occupy equatorial positions, and the H atom occupies an axial position. The molecular shape is described as T-shaped.
Final Answer
The Lewis structure for chloroform, $\mathrm{CHCl}_{3}$, is shown above. The electron pair geometry around the central carbon atom is trigonal bipyramidal, and the molecular geometry is also trigonal bipyramidal with a T-shaped molecular shape.
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