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Quizzes > Science

Molecular geometry practice: test VSEPR shapes and bond angles

Quick, free quiz with bond angle practice questions. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Cassio Cristiano Silva Da SilvaUpdated Aug 25, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for a molecular geometry quiz on a sky blue background

This quiz helps you practice molecular geometry by naming VSEPR shapes, predicting bond angles, and checking polarity with instant feedback. For more targeted drills, work through our electron geometry practice, try a focused bond angles quiz, or refresh core theory in a vsepr theory quiz.

What is the approximate H - O - H bond angle in a water molecule?
180.0°
104.5°
109.5°
120.0°
Water has two lone pairs on the oxygen which compress the H - O - H bond angle from the ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5° to approximately 104.5°. Lone pair - bond pair repulsions are greater than bond pair - bond pair repulsions, resulting in a smaller bond angle. More details at .
What is the molecular geometry of carbon dioxide (CO?)?
Tetrahedral
Trigonal Planar
Bent
Linear
CO? has two regions of electron density around the carbon and no lone pairs, giving a linear molecular geometry with a 180° bond angle. VSEPR theory predicts minimal repulsion between the two bond pairs. See more at .
What is the shape of ammonia (NH?)?
Tetrahedral
Trigonal Pyramidal
Trigonal Planar
Bent
Ammonia has three bonding pairs and one lone pair on nitrogen. The electron geometry is tetrahedral, but the molecular geometry is trigonal pyramidal with a bond angle of about 107°. For more, see .
What is the molecular geometry of boron trifluoride (BF?)?
Trigonal Planar
Tetrahedral
Bent
Linear
BF? has three bonding regions and no lone pairs on boron, giving trigonal planar geometry with 120° bond angles. The molecule is flat because of sp² hybridization. More at .
Which hybridization corresponds to a perfect tetrahedral geometry?
sp²
sp³
sp
dsp³
sp³ hybridization produces four equivalent orbitals arranged tetrahedrally with 109.5° bond angles, as seen in methane. sp² is trigonal planar and sp is linear. See details at .
What is the electron-domain geometry and molecular geometry of SF??
Octahedral, Square Planar
Trigonal Planar, T-shaped
Tetrahedral, Bent
Trigonal Bipyramidal, Seesaw
SF? has five electron domains (four bonds, one lone pair) giving trigonal bipyramidal electron geometry. One lone pair occupies an equatorial position, producing a seesaw molecular shape. Read more at .
In phosphorus pentachloride (PCl?), what are the bond angles between equatorial chlorine atoms?
109.5°
90°
120°
180°
PCl? has trigonal bipyramidal geometry with three equatorial positions 120° apart, and two axial positions 90° from equatorial. The axial - equatorial angles are 90°, but equatorial - equatorial are 120°. More at .
What is the approximate bond angle in sulfur dioxide (SO?)?
109.5°
119°
90°
104.5°
SO? has a bent molecular geometry with one lone pair, giving an approximate bond angle of 119° due to sp² hybridization. Lone pair repulsion slightly reduces the ideal 120° angle. More at .
How many lone pairs and what is the molecular shape of ClF??
2 lone pairs, T-shaped
1 lone pair, Seesaw
0 lone pairs, Trigonal Bipyramidal
3 lone pairs, Linear
ClF? has five electron regions (three bonds and two lone pairs) on chlorine, which produces a T-shaped molecular geometry. The lone pairs occupy equatorial positions to minimize repulsions. See for more.
What is the hybridization of the central atom in xenon tetrafluoride (XeF?)?
sp³d²
sp²d²
sp³d
sp³
XeF? has six electron domains (four bonds, two lone pairs) and adopts an octahedral electron geometry. The central xenon uses sp³d² hybrid orbitals. More information at .
In BrF?, what are the distinct bond angles between bromine and axial fluorine atoms versus equatorial fluorine atoms?
120° (equatorial) and 90° (axial)
109.5° (all)
75° and 165°
~86° (axial - equatorial) and 180° (axial - axial)
BrF? has a T-shaped geometry with two lone pairs. The axial - equatorial F - Br - F bond angles are compressed to about 86°, while the two axial F atoms are 180° apart. See .
What is the overall dipole moment of sulfur hexafluoride (SF?)?
0.58 D
1.10 D
2.02 D
Zero
SF? is octahedral and perfectly symmetrical, causing all bond dipoles to cancel. Therefore, its net dipole moment is zero. More at .
Why do lone pairs occupy equatorial positions in trigonal bipyramidal molecules?
Equatorial positions allow for d orbital participation only.
Axial positions are higher in energy due to hybridization mismatch.
Axial positions have more steric hindrance from solvent molecules.
Equatorial positions reduce lone pair - lone pair and lone pair - bond pair repulsions because the angles to other electron domains are larger (120°) than in axial positions (90°).
In a trigonal bipyramidal arrangement, equatorial positions lie at 120° from each other, minimizing repulsions with other electron pairs compared to the 90° angles in axial positions. Lone pairs occupy the sites with the least repulsion. See .
In the nitrate ion (NO??), what is the average formal charge on each oxygen atom due to resonance?
-1/3
-1
-2/3
0
NO?? has three equivalent resonance structures with one O having a double bond (0 formal charge) and two O's having single bonds (-1 each), giving an average of -2/3 per oxygen. See further explanation at .
0
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify electron-domain geometries -

    Use VSEPR theory to classify electron-domain shapes based on bonding pairs and lone pairs around a central atom.

  2. Differentiate electron and molecular geometries -

    Compare idealized electron-domain arrangements with actual molecular shapes to explain deviations caused by lone pairs.

  3. Predict bond angles in common molecular shapes -

    Estimate bond angles for linear, trigonal planar, tetrahedral, trigonal bipyramidal, and octahedral geometries.

  4. Analyze CCl2Br2 molecular geometry and polarity -

    Apply VSEPR rules to determine the 3D shape of CCl2Br2 and predict its dipole moment and stereochemical isomerism.

  5. Evaluate molecular dipole moments -

    Assess how differences in bond polarity and molecular geometry combine to produce overall molecular polarity.

  6. Apply molecular geometry practice in quiz scenarios -

    Reinforce your understanding through targeted molecular geometry practice questions with detailed feedback.

Cheat Sheet

  1. VSEPR Theory and Electron Domains -

    Review the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory to predict molecular shapes by counting electron domains around a central atom. Each repulsion follows the mnemonic "Keep e❻ pairs apart for Max Repulsion" to help remember domain arrangements. Regular molecular geometry practice will solidify your ability to identify shapes based on lone pair and bond pair interactions.

  2. Common Molecular Geometries and Ideal Bond Angles -

    Master linear (180°), trigonal planar (120°), tetrahedral (109.5°), trigonal bipyramidal (90°/120°), and octahedral (90°) shapes using authoritative tables from university chemistry departments. Use the playful phrase "Lone, Trio, Tetrahabit, Bi-perky, Octa-siton" to recall increasing electron domain counts. Test yourself with an electron geometry quiz to pair each shape accurately with its bond angles.

  3. AXE Notation and Steric Number Calculation -

    The AXE method (A = central atom, X = bonding pairs, E = lone pairs) helps calculate the steric number and predict both electron and molecular geometries with precision. For example, NH₃ has AX₃E, giving a steric number of 4 and a trigonal pyramidal molecular shape. Practicing with a quiz on molecular geometry will make this notation second nature.

  4. Polarity, Dipole Moments, and Molecular Shape -

    Combine knowledge of individual bond dipoles with overall molecular symmetry to determine polarity - dipole vectors cancel in nonpolar geometries like CO₂'s linear form. Remember the phrase "Symmetry cancels all" to quickly predict nonpolar molecules. Regular electron and molecular geometry practice builds confidence in calculating net dipole moments.

  5. Predicting CCl2Br2 Molecular Geometry -

    When predicting CCl2Br2 molecular geometry, recognize that carbon's steric number of 4 yields a tetrahedral electron geometry but two distinct diastereomeric arrangements. Since Br and Cl differ in electronegativity, these arrangements produce unique dipole moments you can calculate using vector addition. Incorporate CCl2Br2 molecular geometry problems into your study set to sharpen your skills in isomer identification and dipole analysis.

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