Skip to main content
Chemistry LibreTexts

10.1.4: Coordination Number and Molecular Shapes

  • Page ID
    377708
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Examination of physical properties, such as electronic spectra or magnetic susceptibility, can often be used to distinguish between possible molecular geometries of coordination complexes. It can be difficult to predict the coordination number of a complex formed from a specific metal ion and a given set of ligands, to say nothing of its geometry. Steric crowding and valence electron count around the metal in the complex are just two of the factors that influence coordination number. Even for a given coordination number, there are sometimes different possible coordination geometries. For example, five-coordinate can adopt square pyramidal or trigonal bipyramidal geometry. In most cases, it is especially difficult to predict which geometry prevails. In fact, many complexes adopt a geometry somewhere between the two. Four-coordinate geometry offers a similar choice between square planar and tetrahedral geometry, although in this case it can be easier to predict which one is likely to occur. The energetic difference between these two possible geometries can often be explained based on the electronic structure of the complex.


    This page titled 10.1.4: Coordination Number and Molecular Shapes is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Chris Schaller.

    • Was this article helpful?