What is the vsepr model for PCl3?

1 Answer
Aug 6, 2017

Trigonal pyramidal

Explanation:

We gots PCl3, and around the central phosphorus atom there are 3×bonding electron pairs, the PCl bonds, and a phosphorus-centred lone pair.

To a first approximation, these electron pairs arrange themselves in a tetrahedron........with ideal bond angles of 109.5. But we describe molecular geometry on the basis of the geometry of the ATOMS, not on the electron pairs. The symmetry descends from tetrahedral to trigonal pyramidal with ClPCl angles of approx. 100103 due to the disproportionate influence of the phosphorus lone pair.