Bonding: Shapes of Molecules

Shapes of molecules are determined by the number of electron pairs
Electron pairs in atoms stay far apart to reduce electron repulsion
This electron distance creates characteristic molecule shapes
Examples include linear shapes for two pairs (beryllium fluoride) and tetrahedral for four pairs (methane)
Bond angles may be distorted due to greater repulsion by lone pairs
It’s advised to learn shapes and bond angles for molecules/ions with up to six electron pairs.