why N(CH3)3 is pyramidal but N(SiH3)3 is planar while both C and Si belonging to same group and having same valence shell EC?
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Both Carbon (C) and Silicon (Si) belong to the Group 14 in the periodic table. They are called as the elements of the Carbon family.
Though both the elements belong to the same group in the periodic table, they have different structures when they form bonds with Nitrogen and Hydrogen.
N(SiH₃)₃ tends to form a planar geometrical structure, whereas N(CH₃)₃ forms a structure with pyramidal geometry. This is because there is the presence of back bonding in between the filled-up 2p orbital of the Nitrogen atom and the empty 3d orbital of Si.
However, N(CH₃)₃ does not have any such back bonding. So, it will have a pyramidal geometry. The Nitrogen atom has a hybridization of sp³. In this sp³ hybridization, 3 of the hybrid orbitals participate in the bond formation and there is 1 lone pair in the 4th orbital is present.
Though both the elements belong to the same group in the periodic table, they have different structures when they form bonds with Nitrogen and Hydrogen.
N(SiH₃)₃ tends to form a planar geometrical structure, whereas N(CH₃)₃ forms a structure with pyramidal geometry. This is because there is the presence of back bonding in between the filled-up 2p orbital of the Nitrogen atom and the empty 3d orbital of Si.
However, N(CH₃)₃ does not have any such back bonding. So, it will have a pyramidal geometry. The Nitrogen atom has a hybridization of sp³. In this sp³ hybridization, 3 of the hybrid orbitals participate in the bond formation and there is 1 lone pair in the 4th orbital is present.
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