Skip to main content

Guide to Representing Molecular Structures Study Guide

This guide covers the fundamentals of molecular orbital theory, including atomic orbital overlap, the formation of bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals, and the impact of environmental factors like desolvation on orbital dynamics. It is suitable for students learning about chemical bonding and molecular structure.

Save this study guide to your study set

Sign up free

Your learning path

Principles of Chemical Bonding and Atomic Structure

Assigning Formal Charges to Atoms

Assigning formal charges to atoms in a molecule involves calculating electron counts from lone pairs and shared pairs compared to the outer-shell electron count in a free atom.

  • formal charges
  • electron count
  • lone pairs
  • shared pairs
  • outer-shell electron count

Electron-Dot Pictorial of Covalent Bonds

Lewis structures use electron-dot pictorials to illustrate how atoms share electron pairs to form covalent single, double, and triple bonds.

  • Lewis structures
  • Covalent single bonds
  • Double bonds
  • Triple bonds
  • Shared electron pairs

Ionic and Covalent Bonds and Electronegativity

The text discusses electronegativity trends in the periodic table, polarization of covalent bonds, and how molecular shape determines net polarization.

  • Electronegativity
  • Periodic Trends
  • Polarization
  • Polar bonds
  • Molecular shape

Attracting Force and Chemical Bonding

The text describes the forces between atoms, including covalent bonding, ionic bonding, and Coulomb's Law.

  • Attracting force
  • Coulomb's Law
  • Bond length
  • Repulsive forces
  • Covalent bonding

Ionic and Covalent Bonds and Octet Rule

Atoms bond to achieve a stable electron configuration and reach a lower energy state through ionic and covalent bonding.

  • ionic bonds
  • covalent bonds
  • stable electron configuration
  • lower energy state
  • electrostatic attraction
  • cations
  • sharing of electrons

Periodic Table and Electron Configurations

The periodic table describes elements arranged by increasing atomic number, group, and period, illustrating chemical reactivity and the octet rule.

  • Periodic table organization
  • Atomic number
  • Groups and periods
  • Chemical reactivity
  • Noble gas configuration
  • Octet rule
  • Ionic bonds
  • Covalent bonds
  • Alkali metals
  • Halogens
  • Noble gases

Chemical Bond Formation and Energy Release

Energy is released when the bond is formed.

  • bond formation
  • energy release

Molecular Structure, Bonding, and Lewis Representations

Structure and Bonding in Organic Molecules

The text explains how electronegativity affects electron distribution and how electron repulsion controls the shapes of molecules.

  • electronegativity
  • valence electron repulsion
  • molecular structure
  • Lewis structures
  • molecular geometry

Structure and Bonding in Inorganic Chemistry

This text discusses structure diagrams, covalent bonds, and exceptions to the octet rule including incomplete octets and expanded octets.

  • Octet rule
  • Incomplete octets
  • Expanded octets
  • Lewis structure diagrams
  • Covalent bonds

Structure and Bonding in Organic Molecules

Determining the identity of a molecule through its structure, connectivity of atoms, and physical properties.

  • Structure and bonding
  • Empirical formula
  • Spectroscopy
  • Connectivity of atoms
  • Physical properties

Molecular Geometry and Electron Repulsion

This text discusses how lone pairs of electrons and electron repulsion affect bond angles in ammonia and water molecules.

  • Molecular geometry
  • Electron repulsion
  • Lone pair
  • Bond angle
  • sp³ hybridization

Covalent Bonds and Lewis Structures

The text explains covalent bonds represented by single, double, or triple lines and provides strategies for drawing Lewis structures using valence electrons and the octet rule.

  • covalent bonds
  • single bonds
  • double bonds
  • triple bonds
  • shared electrons
  • Lewis structure
  • octet rule

Formal Charge Calculation Rules and Examples

  • formal charge calculation
  • HClO
  • hydrogen valence electron count
  • oxygen valence electron count

Electron-Dot Model of Lewis Structures

Lewis structures are used for predicting geometry and polarity of organic compounds by arranging bonds and nonbonding electrons to minimize electron repulsion.

  • Lewis structures
  • Electron-dot model
  • Covalent bonding
  • Polar covalent bonds
  • Bond polarization
  • Molecular geometry
  • Nonbonding electron pairs
  • Electron repulsion

Electron Counting in Chemical Compounds

Tables calculating total electrons for Methane, Hydrogen Bromide, Water, and Ammonium Ion.

  • Hydrogen Bromide
  • Water
  • Ammonium Ion
  • Electron calculation
  • Chemical charge

Molecular Orbitals, Hybridization, and Quantum Bonding

Molecular Orbitals and Covalent Bonding

The formation of bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals occurs when atomic orbitals overlap through constructive or destructive interference of wave functions.

  • bonding molecular orbital
  • antibonding molecular orbital
  • constructive interference
  • destructive interference
  • wave functions

Antibonding Molecular Orbital Formation

The formation and wavefunction of an antibonding molecular orbital is cancelled in a desolvating interaction.

  • antibonding molecular orbital
  • wavefunction
  • desolvating interaction
  • overlap of atomic orbitals

Desolvating Interactions and Antibonding Molecular Orbitals

A desolvating interaction involves the formation and wavefunction of an antibonding molecular orbital being cancelled through the overlap of atomic orbitals.

  • desolvating interaction
  • antibonding molecular orbital
  • wavefunction
  • overlap of atomic orbitals

Spheres and Dumbbell-Shaped Lobes

The text describes spheres or dumbbell-shaped lobes containing approximate mathematical signs.

  • spheres
  • dumbbell-shaped lobes
  • approximate mathematical signs

Hybridization and Bonding in Ethene and Ethyne

  • pi bonds
  • ethylene
  • ethyne
  • acetylene
  • sigma bonds
  • sp2 hybrid orbitals
  • unhybridized p orbitals
  • sp hybridization

Diffuse Shape and Energy Counterparts

The sources describe how certain entities are similar in shape to have more diffuse than their lower-energy counterparts.

  • diffuse shape
  • lower-energy counterparts

Structure and Bonding in Organic Molecules

This text discusses wave-particle duality and the de Broglie wavelength.

  • wave-particle duality
  • uncertainty principle
  • de Broglie wavelength
  • quantized energy levels
  • probability distribution
  • standing waves

Orbital Hybridization and Bonding in Molecules

  • orbital overlap
  • hybridization
  • unhybridized orbitals
  • energy difference between 2s and p orbitals
  • positive nuclear charge
  • bonding
  • electron repulsion
  • sp hybridization
  • sp2 hybridization
  • carbon atom orbitals
  • 2s and 2p orbitals
  • tetrahedral geometry
  • methane structure
  • p character and s character
  • lone electron pairs
  • orbital hybridization
  • hybrid orbitals
  • sp hybrids
  • atomic orbitals
  • molecular orbitals

Hybridization in Boron Orbitals

  • sp2 hybrid orbitals
  • boron hybridization
  • B-H sigma bonds
  • 2s and 2p orbitals
  • molecular plane

Structure and Bonding in Organic Molecules

A quantum mechanical description of bonding through the overlap of atomic orbitals, electron promotion, and molecular-orbital diagrams.

  • Coulomb forces
  • Overlap of atomic orbitals
  • Bonding molecular orbital
  • Antibonding molecular orbital
  • Bond strength
  • Hybrid orbitals
  • Electron promotion
  • Beryllium hydride bonding
  • Molecular-orbital and energy-splitting diagrams

Structure, Bonding, and Resonance in Organic Chemistry

The Scope of Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry involves the study of functional groups, organic mechanisms, and the synthesis of complex organic chemicals from simpler materials.

  • substitution reaction
  • elimination reaction
  • functional groups
  • organic synthesis
  • molecular structure

Resonance Forms and Molecular Hybrids

The text explains resonance and how the actual structure of a molecule is a resonance hybrid which is a weighted average of individual resonance forms involving the delocalization of electrons.

  • Resonance hybrid
  • Delocalization
  • Lewis structures
  • Electron density distribution
  • Charge density

Significance of Resonance Form Contributors

Guidelines for determining which resonance forms are more significant contributors to the true structure of a molecule.

  • resonance forms
  • octet rule
  • Lewis structures
  • electronegativity
  • charge separation

Lewis Structures and Resonance Contributors

Illustrations of Lewis structures, resonance structures, and electrostatic potential maps for formaldehyde, sulfuric acid, nitrosyl cation, and formic acid.

  • Lewis structure
  • Resonance structure
  • Formaldehyde
  • Sulfuric acid
  • Formic acid

Structure and Bonding in Organic Molecules

Lewis structures describe the bonding of electrons in a molecule, and when several correct Lewis structures exist, they are called resonance forms.

  • Lewis structures
  • Resonance forms
  • Bonding of electrons
  • Carbonate ion
  • Electron pairs

Resonance Forms of the Carbonate Ion

The actual structure of the carbonate ion is a hybrid of all resonance forms where electrons are delocalized across the entire molecule.

  • Resonance forms
  • Carbonate ion
  • Electronic structure
  • Hybrid structure
  • Lewis structures
  • Double-headed resonance arrows
  • Formal negative charge
  • Lone pairs of electrons
  • Curved arrows
  • Electron movement
  • Molecular orbital diagram
  • Electron density
  • Delocalized electrons

Atomic Orbitals and Resonance Structures

A quantum mechanical approach to describing electrons around the nucleus and using resonance forms to represent molecules.

  • atomic orbitals
  • resonance forms
  • resonance contributors
  • electronegativity
  • charge separation
  • octet rule
  • Lewis structures
  • carbonyl group
  • electrophilic carbon
  • electron density

Make it your own.

Keep these readings and topics in a new study set, or add them to one you already use.