Question

Discuss the shape of the molecules using the VSEPR model.

BeCl₂

Answer 1

BeCl₂: A linear molecule. Be atom has 2 electrons in it outermost orbit. Each chlorine atom has seven valence electrons. The Lewis structure of BeCl₂ is

There are two electrons pairs and to minimise the repulsion, these electron pairs tend to keep themselves far away from each other, i.e., 180° apart. This gives BeCl₂ a linear structure.