A molecule with 4 single bonds (and any number of lone pairs) could have which of the following molecular geometries
I. Tetrahedral
II. Seesaw
III. Square Planar
IV. T-shaped
A) I only
B) I and III
C) II and III
D) I, II, and III
E) I, II, III, and IV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A molecule with 4 single bonds has 4 electron pairs around the central atom. The possible molecular geometries are determined by the number of lone pairs and the number of bonded atoms. 
I. Tetrahedral - this geometry has 4 bonded atoms and no lone pairs 
II. Seesaw - this geometry has 3 bonded atoms and 1 lone pair 
III. Square Planar - this geometry has 2 bonded atoms and 2 lone pairs 
IV. T-shaped - this geometry has 2 bonded atoms and 3 lone pairs 
Thus, a molecule with 4 single bonds could have molecular geometry I, II, or III. Therefore, the best choice is D, as it includes all three possibilities.

A Molecule with 4 Single Bonds (And Any Number of Lone