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Chapter 5: Problem 13

The shape of \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\) molecule is

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The molecular shape of \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\) is linear, with a bond angle of 180 degrees between the Beryllium-Chlorine bonds.

Step by step solution

01

Determine the number of valence electrons in \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\)

First, find the number of valence electrons in each atom. Beryllium (Be) has 2 valence electrons and Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons. Since there are two Chlorine atoms in the molecule, the total valence electrons in the molecule are \((2) + (7\times2) = 16\).
02

Draw the Lewis structure of \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\)

Start by placing Beryllium (Be) as the central atom as it has the lowest electronegativity. Then, attach two Chlorine atoms to Be by single bonds. The central atom, Be, has its two valence electrons already used, giving bond pairs, and as it can hold a maximum of four electrons, it does not have any additional lone pairs. Each chlorine atom gets its remaining 6 valence electrons in pairs, not shared with Be. The Lewis structure looks like: \[ \mathrm{Be} - \mathrm{Cl} - \mathrm{Cl} \] Notice the single bond between Beryllium and each Chlorine atom.
03

Apply VSEPR theory to determine the shape

VSEPR theory states that electron pairs around a central atom repel each other and will arrange themselves to be as far apart as possible. In the case of \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\), Beryllium has 2 bond pairs and 0 lone pairs, which means that it follows an AX2E0 configuration (A = central atom, X = bonded atom, E = lone electron pair, and the numbers represent how many of each there are). According to the VSEPR theory, an AX2E0 configuration results in a linear shape.
04

Describe the \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\) molecular shape

Based on the steps above, the shape of the \(\mathrm{BeCl}_{2}\) molecule is linear, with the Beryllium atom in the center and the two Chlorine atoms on either side, forming a straight line. The bond angle between the Beryllium-Chlorine bonds is 180 degrees.

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