Limitations of VSEPR Theory

The limitations of VESPR Theory are :

  • It fails to account for the different structures of isoelectronic species (i.e. elements having the same number of electrons). Why do these species having the same number of electrons, differ in their shapes?
  • It is unable to explain the formation of metal complexes.
  • The bent structure of halides is also not explained using the VESPR theory.

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VSEPR Theory

VSEPR Theory tells us about the basic structure of the molecules based on the force of repulsion between lone pair and bond pair of electrons. It states that any molecule arranged in such a structure minimizes the repulsion between the lone pair and bond pair of the molecule.

Let’s learn more about VSEPR theory in detail, including its postulates, limitations, and examples.

Table of Content

  • What Is VSEPR Theory?
  • Postulates of VSEPR Theory
  • Predicting Shapes of Molecules
  • VSEP Number
  • VSEPR Shapes of Molecules
  • Limitations of VSEPR Theory

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What is VSEPR Theory?

VSEPR stands for Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion. As the name suggests this theory is used to find the shape of the molecule by taking into account the force of the electron pairs and lone pairs of the molecule. According to this theory, any molecule formed by sharing of electron pair between two or more atoms tends to take such shapes that minimize forces between the electron pairs or lone pairs of electrons....

Postulates of VSEPR Theory

Various postulates of the VSEPR Theory are,...

Predicting Shapes of Molecules

We can easily predict the shape of the molecules using the VESPR theory using the following rules :...

VSEP Number

VSEP number of a molecule is the number that describes the shape of the molecule. We easily find this number by taking the sum of the Lone Pairs and Bond Pairs of the molecule. Various Shapes of molecules according to the VSEP number is tabulated below:...

VSEPR Shapes of Molecules

We know that VSPER theory minimizes the force between the bond pair and lone pair electrons of atoms and the structure so formed also follows this rule. So using this theory we can easily predict the shape of the molecule if all the bond pairs and the lone pairs of the molecule are known to us....

Limitations of VSEPR Theory

The limitations of VESPR Theory are :...

FAQs on VSEPR Theory

What is VSEPR Theory Full Form?...

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