Question

For a given molecule, it electronic geometry equivalent to molecular geometry?

Answer 1

The molecule in which central atom has no lone pair of electons has electonic geometry equivalent to molecular geometry

Answer 2

Answer:

It can be, though sometimes it is the same as the molecular geometry.

Explanation:

I will try to illustrate with 2 examples: (i) the water molecule; and (ii) the methane molecule,  

C

H

4

. Around the carbon centre in methane there are 4 electron pairs,  

4

×

C

−

H

bonds. Valence shell electron pair theory predicts that these bonds would assume the shape of a tetrahedron (i.e. they want to be distributed according to the arrangement of least electron pair interaction), and indeed the molecular geometry is tetrahedral.