Electronic Structure
This term describes the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that are directly involved in forming chemical bonds.
Valence Electrons
According to VSEPR theory, a central atom with 3 single bonds and 1 lone pair has this total number of electron domains
4
This common three-word chemistry phrase explains why polar substances like ethanol will easily dissolve in water, while non-polar substances like vegetable oil will not.
Like dissolves like
When two non-metal atoms have a relatively small difference in electronegativity, they form this specific type of bond by sharing electrons
Covalent Bond
Because lone pairs repel more strongly than bonding pairs, a molecule like water (H2O) with 2 bonds and 2 lone pairs is forced into this specific molecular geometry
Bent
Even though carbon-oxygen bonds are highly polar, a molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2) is entirely non-polar overall due to this critical structural reason
Symmetrical (linear) shape
On the periodic table, this key property is defined as an atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond, which generally increases as you move from left to right and from bottom to top
Electronegativity
If a neutral Nitrogen atom (5 valence electrons) is drawn in a Lewis structure with 4 single bonds and 0 lone pairs, this is its calculated formal charge
+1
Water bugs can literally walk on top of a pond because water's highly polar structure and bent shape create strong hydrogen bonds, resulting in a high value for this real-world liquid property
Surface Tension
In a molecule's electronic layout, these specific valence electrons do not participate in bonding but still exert significant electrostatic repulsion on neighboring bonds
In a molecule of methane (CH4), the central carbon atom shares all 4 of its valence electrons equally with hydrogen atoms, resulting in this specific 3D molecular shape and an ideal bond angle of 109.5°
Tetrahedral
Microwave ovens cook food by emitting radiation that specifically targets and rotates asymmetric, highly polar molecules (primarily water), generating heat. Non-polar molecules like plastics are unaffected for this critical reason
They lack a net dipole moment? (Without a net dipole moment, the microwave's electric field cannot interact with or rotate the molecules to create friction/heat).