The Shapes of Covalent Molecules

Total number of electron pairs Number of lone pairs Formula Shape Angles/ Examples 

---

The shapes of covalent molecules are determined by the number of valence electrons and orbitals available, giving H2, BF3, CH4, NH3, PH3, H20, HF, C1F, PF5, SF6, and IF7. Carbon has four valence electrons and four orbitals, so tetrahedral sp3 bonding dominates the chemistry of carbon. This matches the three-dimensional bonding in zinc blende (3 2PT), and it is the structure of diamond with carbon in P and T layers. 

---