What is the Difference Between Trigonal Planar and Trigonal Pyramidal?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main differences between trigonal planar and trigonal pyramidal molecular geometries are:
- Lone pair electrons: Trigonal planar geometry has no lone pair electrons on the central atom, while trigonal pyramidal geometry has one lone pair of electrons on the central atom.
- Bond angles: In trigonal planar geometry, the bond angles are around 120°, while in trigonal pyramidal geometry, the bond angles are less than 120°, typically around 107°.
- Plane: In trigonal planar geometry, all the atoms are located on one plane, while in trigonal pyramidal geometry, the atoms are not in one plane.
- Bond-lone pair repulsion: In trigonal pyramidal geometry, there is bond-bond and bond-lone pair repulsion, while in trigonal planar geometry, there is only bond-bond repulsion.
Examples of trigonal planar molecules include formaldehyde (CH2O) and some ions, such as the carbonate ion (CO32-). Examples of trigonal pyramidal molecules include ammonia (NH3), chlorate ion, and sulfite ion.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Trigonal Planar and Trigonal Pyramidal? Comparative Table: Trigonal Planar vs Trigonal Pyramidal
Comparative Table: Trigonal Planar vs Trigonal Pyramidal
The main differences between trigonal planar and trigonal pyramidal molecular geometries are as follows:
Trigonal Planar | Trigonal Pyramidal |
---|---|
Three atoms surrounding the central atom have bond angles of 120 degrees. | Bond angles between the central atom and the three surrounding atoms are less than 120 degrees, resulting in a three-dimensional shape. |
All the atoms lie on a single plane. | The atoms are arranged in a pyramid shape, with the lone pair of electrons occupying the fourth position. |
No lone pair electrons at the central atom. | The central atom has four hybridized orbitals, with three of the orbitals used to form sigma bonds with the other atoms and one of the orbitals containing a lone pair of electrons. |
Examples of trigonal planar molecules include formaldehyde (CH2O) and some ions, such as the carbonate ion (CO32-). | Examples of trigonal pyramidal molecules include NH3 and some ions, such as NH4+. |
In summary, trigonal planar geometry has three atoms or groups arranged in a flat, triangular shape, while trigonal pyramidal geometry has three atoms or groups arranged in a three-dimensional pyramid shape with a lone pair of electrons at the apex.
Read more:
- Square Planar vs Tetrahedral Complexes
- Triangular Prism vs Triangular Pyramid (Tetrahedron)
- Dioctahedral vs Trioctahedral
- Geometry vs Trigonometry
- Pyramid vs Prism
- Px Py vs Pz Orbitals
- Molecular Geometry vs Electron Geometry
- Pyrrole Furan vs Thiophene
- Pyrrole Pyridine vs Piperidine
- Algebra vs Trigonometry
- Covalent vs Polar Covalent
- Electron Pair Geometry vs Molecular Geometry
- Parallelogram vs Trapezoid
- Geometric Isomers vs Structural Isomers
- Pyridine vs Pyrimidine
- Furanose vs Pyranose
- Sigma vs Pi Molecular Orbitals
- Optical vs Geometrical Isomerism
- Azimuthal vs Principal Quantum Number