Molecular Geometry
The three-dimensional arrangement of the bonded atoms in a molecule, ignoring the positions of lone pairs.
Unit
degrees
In depth
Molecular geometry is obtained by taking the electron domain geometry and deleting the lone pair positions, which is why ammonia is described as pyramidal rather than tetrahedral. Shape determines polarity, packing, biological recognition and reactivity, making it one of the most consequential facts about a molecule.
Examples in the real world
Water is bent rather than tetrahedral; SF₄ is see-saw rather than trigonal bipyramidal.