The role and status of theory in inorganic chemistry

The reader will probably be familiar with at least one simple, qualitative explanation for the shape of the water molecule (there are several). The VSEPR approach (see Section 1.4) predicts that the bond angle should be somewhere between 90° and 109.5°, which is good enough for the purposes of most inorganic chemists. The fact that some of the underlying assumptions in this and other simple theories can be challenged does not necessarily vitiate the theory. 

To most chemists, theory means the theory of the chemical bond, or valence theory. A satisfactory theory should  

None of the various theories which the reader will encounter is perfect all have their strengths and weaknesses. Horses for courses should be the maxim of the inorganic chemist. Some theories are more firmly underpinned by experimental data and by fundamental physical laws than others. The fact that a theory works to a useful extent does not prove that it is literally true, i.e. that it presents a physically-realistic description of the system. Conversely, the fact that some of the underlying assumptions in a theory can be shown to be unsound does not,perse, require that the theory be discarded. A simplistic approach can serve us well provided that we understand its limitations and do not take it too literally. 

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