GENERAL CHEMISTRY THE ESSENTIAL
CONCEPTS RAYMOND CHANG LEARNING
WORKBOOK 2026 ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
◉ What are resonance contributors? Answer: Multiple valid Lewis
structures for the same molecule with different electron positions.
◉ What is formal charge? Answer: Formal charge = (# valence e⁻
alone) - (# bonds) - (# non-bonding e⁻).
◉ What does VSEPR stand for? Answer: Valence Shell Electron Pair
Repulsion.
◉ What geometry results from 2 electron domains? Answer: Linear;
bond angle ≈ 180°.
◉ What geometry results from 3 electron domains? Answer:
Trigonal planar (0 lone pairs) or bent (1 lone pair); approximate
bond angles 120°.
, ◉ What geometry results from 4 electron domains? Answer:
Tetrahedral (0 lone pairs), trigonal pyramidal (1 lone pair), or bent
(2 lone pairs); approximate bond angles 109.5°.
◉ What is electronegativity? Answer: The ability of an atom to
attract electrons in a bond.
◉ What is a polar covalent bond? Answer: A bond between atoms
with different electronegativities, resulting in unequal sharing of
electrons.
◉ What is a nonpolar covalent bond? Answer: A bond between
atoms with equal or very similar electronegativities.
◉ How do you determine if a molecule is polar overall? Answer:
Identify polar bonds, draw bond dipoles, check if they cancel.
◉ What are the five types of intermolecular forces from weakest to
strongest? Answer: 1. Induced dipole-induced dipole, 2. Dipole-
induced dipole, 3. Dipole-dipole, 4. Hydrogen bonding, 5. Ion-dipole.
◉ What is the induced dipole-induced dipole force? Answer: A
temporary IMF arising from fluctuations in electron distribution.
CONCEPTS RAYMOND CHANG LEARNING
WORKBOOK 2026 ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
◉ What are resonance contributors? Answer: Multiple valid Lewis
structures for the same molecule with different electron positions.
◉ What is formal charge? Answer: Formal charge = (# valence e⁻
alone) - (# bonds) - (# non-bonding e⁻).
◉ What does VSEPR stand for? Answer: Valence Shell Electron Pair
Repulsion.
◉ What geometry results from 2 electron domains? Answer: Linear;
bond angle ≈ 180°.
◉ What geometry results from 3 electron domains? Answer:
Trigonal planar (0 lone pairs) or bent (1 lone pair); approximate
bond angles 120°.
, ◉ What geometry results from 4 electron domains? Answer:
Tetrahedral (0 lone pairs), trigonal pyramidal (1 lone pair), or bent
(2 lone pairs); approximate bond angles 109.5°.
◉ What is electronegativity? Answer: The ability of an atom to
attract electrons in a bond.
◉ What is a polar covalent bond? Answer: A bond between atoms
with different electronegativities, resulting in unequal sharing of
electrons.
◉ What is a nonpolar covalent bond? Answer: A bond between
atoms with equal or very similar electronegativities.
◉ How do you determine if a molecule is polar overall? Answer:
Identify polar bonds, draw bond dipoles, check if they cancel.
◉ What are the five types of intermolecular forces from weakest to
strongest? Answer: 1. Induced dipole-induced dipole, 2. Dipole-
induced dipole, 3. Dipole-dipole, 4. Hydrogen bonding, 5. Ion-dipole.
◉ What is the induced dipole-induced dipole force? Answer: A
temporary IMF arising from fluctuations in electron distribution.
