Tetrahedral molecular geometry
| Tetrahedral molecular geometry | |
|---|---|
| Examples | CH4, MnO− 4 |
| Point group | Td |
| Coordination number | 4 |
| Bond angle(s) | ≈ 109.5° |
| μ (Polarity) | 0 |
In a tetrahedral molecular geometry, a central atom is located at the center with four substituents that are located at the corners of a tetrahedron. The bond angles are arccos(−1/3) = 109.4712206...° ≈ 109.5° when all four substituents are the same, as in methane (CH4)[1][2] as well as its heavier analogues. Methane and other perfectly symmetrical tetrahedral molecules belong to point group Td, but most tetrahedral molecules have lower symmetry. Tetrahedral molecules can be chiral.
- ^ Alger, Nick. "Angle Between 2 Legs of a Tetrahedron". Archived from the original on 2018-10-03.
- ^ Brittin, W. E. (1945). "Valence Angle of the Tetrahedral Carbon Atom". J. Chem. Educ. 22 (3): 145. Bibcode:1945JChEd..22..145B. doi:10.1021/ed022p145.