SiCl4 Lewis structure & Molecular Geometry . SiCl4 has Tetrahedral shape and the bond angle between all Cl atoms and Si is 109.5°.
Silicon Tetrachloride is made from the combination of one of the most reactive and poisonous elements (Chlorine), and one of the most versatile elements on earth (Silicon).
The compound SiCl4 itself is very dangerous in nature and is used for the procurement of pure Silicon, which in turn is used for a wide range of purposes. In this short article, we will talk about the molecular geometry of SiCl4.
To study about the molecular geometry of this compound, we must be familiar with the ‘Lewis Structure’ of Silicon Tetrachloride (SiCl4). So let’s see how the SiCL4 Lewis Structure of it would be, here below.
Here you can see that Silicon is placed as the central atom and is surrounded by 4 Chlorine atoms. With four valence electrons of Si and seven valence electrons of each Cl atom, Silicon is making a single bond with each Chlorine atom out there, leaving three lone pairs for every Chlorine atom and zero lone pair for the Silicon.
Now let’s talk about the geometry and bond angle of SiCl4.
Whenever a bond forms, the outermost atoms(which in this case is Chlorine) repel each other and tend to be at the farthest possible distance to each other, and that repulsion constitutes to the angle and geometry of that compound.
Here there is Silicon in between and Chlorine by the sides, in 2-D plane it would seem that the atoms are placed in such manner, that it’d form the shape like the one below-
But world is 3-D just like Avatar, here the SiCl4 atoms would spread around the space and form the structure like this-
This structure has a name, it’s called ‘Tetrahedral’. The bond angle b/w all Cl atoms and Si is 109.5°.
And not just SiCl4, many other compounds too constitute of this shape, where the central atom makes an angle of 109.5° with all the outer atoms.
Other compounds which make Tetrahedral shape are CH4, NH3, H2O etc.
