Molecular shapes

31 classic molecules in 3D. Coordinates are generated from measured bond lengths and angles — click atoms and measure them yourself.

Valence-shell electron-pair repulsion · 3D

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Sulfur tetrafluoride

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VSEPR notation: $\mathrm{AX_{4}E_{1}}$
Electron-domain geometry: Trigonal bipyramidal
Molecular shape: Seesaw
Measured angle: 173.1° / 101.6°
Bond-dipole sum: polar

At a glance

Molecule	VSEPR	Shape	Measured angle	Point group
$\ce{BeCl2}$ Beryllium chloride (gas)	$\mathrm{AX_{2}}$	Linear	180.0°	$D_{\infty h}$
$\ce{CO2}$ Carbon dioxide	$\mathrm{AX_{2}}$	Linear	180.0°	$D_{\infty h}$
$\ce{BF3}$ Boron trifluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{3}}$	Trigonal planar	120.0°	$D_{3h}$
$\ce{SO2}$ Sulfur dioxide	$\mathrm{AX_{2}E_{1}}$	Bent	119.5°	$C_{2v}$
$\ce{O3}$ Ozone	$\mathrm{AX_{2}E_{1}}$	Bent	116.8°	$C_{2v}$
$\ce{CH4}$ Methane	$\mathrm{AX_{4}}$	Tetrahedral	109.5°	$T_{d}$
$\ce{NH3}$ Ammonia	$\mathrm{AX_{3}E_{1}}$	Trigonal pyramidal	106.7°	$C_{3v}$
$\ce{NF3}$ Nitrogen trifluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{3}E_{1}}$	Trigonal pyramidal	102.2°	$C_{3v}$
$\ce{PH3}$ Phosphine	$\mathrm{AX_{3}E_{1}}$	Trigonal pyramidal	93.5°	$C_{3v}$
$\ce{H2O}$ Water	$\mathrm{AX_{2}E_{2}}$	Bent	104.5°	$C_{2v}$
$\ce{H2S}$ Hydrogen sulfide	$\mathrm{AX_{2}E_{2}}$	Bent	92.1°	$C_{2v}$
$\ce{PCl5}$ Phosphorus pentachloride (gas)	$\mathrm{AX_{5}}$	Trigonal bipyramidal	120.0° / 90.0°	$D_{3h}$
$\ce{SF4}$ Sulfur tetrafluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{4}E_{1}}$	Seesaw	173.1° / 101.6°	$C_{2v}$
$\ce{ClF3}$ Chlorine trifluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{3}E_{2}}$	T-shaped	87.5°	$C_{2v}$
$\ce{XeF2}$ Xenon difluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{2}E_{3}}$	Linear	180.0°	$D_{\infty h}$
$\ce{SF6}$ Sulfur hexafluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{6}}$	Octahedral	90.0°	$O_{h}$
$\ce{BrF5}$ Bromine pentafluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{5}E_{1}}$	Square pyramidal	90.0°	$C_{4v}$
$\ce{XeF4}$ Xenon tetrafluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{4}E_{2}}$	Square planar	90.0°	$D_{4h}$
$\ce{IF7}$ Iodine heptafluoride	$\mathrm{AX_{7}}$	Pentagonal bipyramidal	72.0°	$D_{5h}$
$\ce{CH3Cl}$ Chloromethane	$\mathrm{AX_{4}}$	Tetrahedral	110.4°	$C_{3v}$
$\ce{CH2Cl2}$ Dichloromethane	$\mathrm{AX_{4}}$	Tetrahedral	111.8° / 111.5°	$C_{2v}$
$\ce{CHCl3}$ Trichloromethane (chloroform)	$\mathrm{AX_{4}}$	Tetrahedral	111.3°	$C_{3v}$
$\ce{CCl4}$ Tetrachloromethane	$\mathrm{AX_{4}}$	Tetrahedral	109.5°	$T_{d}$
$\ce{HCN}$ Hydrogen cyanide	$\mathrm{AX_{2}}$	Linear	180.0°	$C_{\infty v}$
$\ce{C2H2}$ Ethyne (acetylene)	$\mathrm{AX_{2}}$	Linear	180.0°	$D_{\infty h}$
$\ce{C2H4}$ Ethene (ethylene)	$\mathrm{AX_{3}}$	Trigonal planar	117.4°	$D_{2h}$
$\ce{HOCl}$ Hypochlorous acid	$\mathrm{AX_{2}E_{2}}$	Bent	103.0°	$C_{s}$
$\ce{C6H6}$ Benzene	$\mathrm{AX_{3}}$	Trigonal planar	120.0° / 120.0°	$D_{6h}$
$\ce{C2H6}$ Ethane (staggered)	$\mathrm{AX_{4}}$	Tetrahedral	111.2°	$D_{3d}$
$\ce{C3H4}$ Allene (propadiene)	$\mathrm{AX_{2}}$	Linear	180.0° / 118.2°	$D_{2d}$
$\ce{H2O2}$ Hydrogen peroxide (gas)	$\mathrm{AX_{2}E_{2}}$	Bent	94.8°	$C_{2}$

Bond lengths and angles: gas-phase experimental values from NIST CCCBDB, the CRC Handbook’s table of free-molecule structures, and standard texts such as Housecroft & Sharpe, Inorganic Chemistry.

Point groups are computed by searching the coordinates for symmetry elements; see the lesson Symmetry and point groups.