PencilGo

Grade 10 · Science · Chemistry

10th grade Predict molecular shape worksheet

6 printable versionsOn Level10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Predict molecular shape

Grade 10 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. For n electron groups spread as far apart as possible, the angle is cos⁻¹(−1 ÷ (n − 1)). What is it for n = 2, to 0.01°, Ari?

  2. Why is NH₃'s angle (106.67°) smaller than CH₄'s (109.5°), Jun?

    • Nitrogen is bigger than carbon
    • It has more hydrogens
    • Its lone pair pushes the bonds closer
  3. Why is H₂O's angle smaller than NH₃'s, Kira?

    • Oxygen has no lone pairs
    • It has two lone pairs
    • It has fewer bonds to fill
  4. Why does CH₄ have the full tetrahedral angle, Luz?

    • It has double bonds
    • It has no lone pairs
    • Carbon is flat
  5. A central atom has two bonds and two lone pairs. What shape is the molecule, Milo?

    • Trigonal planar
    • Bent
    • Linear
  6. A central atom has three bonds and one lone pair. What shape is the molecule, Noah?

    • Trigonal pyramidal
    • Trigonal planar
    • Tetrahedral
  7. A central atom has two double bonds and no lone pairs. What shape is the molecule, Pia?

    • Tetrahedral
    • Linear
    • Bent
  8. Read this first

    Molecule sketches with shapes and bond angles (VSEPR; NH₃ and H₂O angles from NIST CCCBDB)

    moleculeelectron groups on the centerlone pairs on the centershapebond angle (°)
    CO₂20linear180
    BF₃30trigonal planar120
    CH₄40tetrahedral109.5
    NH₃41trigonal pyramidal106.67
    H₂O42bent104.48
  9. Using the table, what is BF₃'s shape, Ren?

    • Trigonal planar
    • Trigonal pyramidal
    • Bent
  10. Using the table, which three molecules have 4 electron groups on the center, Tala?

    • CO₂, BF₃ and CH₄
    • CH₄, NH₃ and H₂O
    • BF₃, NH₃ and H₂O
  11. Using the table, what happens to the angle as lone pairs rise from 0 to 2, Zee?

    • It stays at 109.5°
    • It shrinks
    • It grows
PencilGopencilgo.com

10th grade Predict molecular shape worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Predict molecular shape. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can use VSEPR: electron groups, including lone pairs, spread as far apart as possible.
  • I can name linear (180°), trigonal planar (120°), tetrahedral (109.5°), trigonal pyramidal (about 107°) and bent (about 104.5°) shapes.
  • I can explain how lone pairs squeeze bond angles.
  • I can tell electron-group arrangement from molecular shape.

Standard: none (TX)

Words to know

VSEPR: Valence-shell electron-pair repulsion: electron groups spread apart

electron group: A bond (single, double or triple) or a lone pair on the central atom

bond angle: The angle between two bonds at the central atom

tetrahedral: Four groups pointing to the corners of a tetrahedron, 109.5°

molecular shape: The arrangement of the atoms only

Common mistakes

Your child added where the question needed another operation: subtract for a difference, multiply for a total of equal angles.

Your child dropped the minus sign. Groups spread apart give angles of cos⁻¹(−1 ÷ (n − 1)), always above 90°.

Your child ignored the lone pairs. They take up space, so they change the shape and squeeze the bond angles.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with predict molecular shape?

Your child added where the question needed another operation: subtract for a difference, multiply for a total of equal angles.

Are these 10th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More chemistry

See all Chemistry

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records