CHEM 101L General Chemistry Lab 6 2025-2026 NEW UPDATE StraighterLi
Student Name:
Access Code (located on the lid of your lab kit):
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and professional formatting when completing this worksheet.
Report all equations in a proper mathematical format, with the correct signs and symbols.
Pre-Lab Questions
● Describe the difference between valence and core electrons.
Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom involved in chemical bonding,
while Core electrons are inner electrons not involved in bonding.
● What is the octet rule and which elements obey the octet rule?
The Octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable
configuration of 8 valence electrons.Elements obeying the octet rule are mainly main
group elements (except H, He, and Li).
● How does VSEPR affect the shape of molecules?
VSEPR theory predicts the shape of molecules based on the repulsion between electron
pairs around a central atom.These electron pairs arrange themselves to minimize
repulsion, resulting in specific molecular geometries.
● What effect does the presence of lone-pair electrons have on the bond angles in a
molecule?
Lone pairs of electrons exert a greater repulsive force than bonding pairs.This causes a
decrease in bond angles compared to a molecule with only bonding pairs. As the number
of lone pairs increases, the bond angles become progressively smaller.
● Should all of the angles in methane (CH4) be equal? Why or why not?
, Yes, all the angles in methane (CH4) should be equal.This is because methane has a
tetrahedral shape due to the four bonding electron pairs around the central carbon atom.
● What additional information does the VSEPR theory give you beyond electron dot
structures, in terms of molecular structure?
VSEPR theory provides crucial information about the three-dimensional shape of a
molecule.
Student Name:
Access Code (located on the lid of your lab kit):
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and professional formatting when completing this worksheet.
Report all equations in a proper mathematical format, with the correct signs and symbols.
Pre-Lab Questions
● Describe the difference between valence and core electrons.
Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom involved in chemical bonding,
while Core electrons are inner electrons not involved in bonding.
● What is the octet rule and which elements obey the octet rule?
The Octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable
configuration of 8 valence electrons.Elements obeying the octet rule are mainly main
group elements (except H, He, and Li).
● How does VSEPR affect the shape of molecules?
VSEPR theory predicts the shape of molecules based on the repulsion between electron
pairs around a central atom.These electron pairs arrange themselves to minimize
repulsion, resulting in specific molecular geometries.
● What effect does the presence of lone-pair electrons have on the bond angles in a
molecule?
Lone pairs of electrons exert a greater repulsive force than bonding pairs.This causes a
decrease in bond angles compared to a molecule with only bonding pairs. As the number
of lone pairs increases, the bond angles become progressively smaller.
● Should all of the angles in methane (CH4) be equal? Why or why not?
, Yes, all the angles in methane (CH4) should be equal.This is because methane has a
tetrahedral shape due to the four bonding electron pairs around the central carbon atom.
● What additional information does the VSEPR theory give you beyond electron dot
structures, in terms of molecular structure?
VSEPR theory provides crucial information about the three-dimensional shape of a
molecule.
