plumiShapes of and bond angles in molecules and ions: Edexcel International A Level Chemistry questions
Edexcel International A Level Chemistry past-paper questions on 3.C.2 Shapes of and bond angles in molecules and ions, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 40 questions on Shapes of and bond angles in molecules and ions, as a list
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q7 (1 mark): Which of these molecules are polar? I hydrogen chloride, HCl(g) II beryllium chloride, BeCl2(g) III boron trichloride, BCl3(g) A I only B II and III C I and III
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q23(b)(iii) (3 marks): The three molecules (methane, ammonia and water) each have a different shape. Complete the table below. (3) molecule shape bond angle methane ammonia water
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q23(b)(iv) (2 marks): Explain the differences between the molecular shapes and bond angles for ammonia and water. (2)
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q13 (1 mark): In the gas phase, PCl5 exists as molecules. They are trigonal bipyramidal. axial Cl equatorial Cl equatorial P Cl Cl Cl axial Each chlorine atom can be replaced
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q26(d) (4 marks): Complete the table showing clearly the shapes of the other two molecules and the F S F bond angles. (4) Molecule Diagram F S F bond angle F F F S F SF6 90º F F
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q26(e) (3 marks): Justify the shape around the sulfur atom in both SF6 and SF4. (3)
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q26(f) (3 marks): SF4 and S2F10 are reactive, but SF6 is unreactive. Suggest reasons for this by considering the shape and bonding in each molecule. (3)
- October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q21(a)(iii) (3 marks): Deduce, using electron‑pair repulsion theory, the expected shape of BCl3 , AlCl3 and TlCl3 . Justify your answer. (3)
- October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q21(c) (3 marks): Thallium also forms ions containing chlorine, for example the TlCl4 In this ion, the thallium atom has 10 electrons in its outermost shell. Phosphorus in phosph
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q18(d)(iii) (3 marks): Explain how the H N H bond angles would be expected to change in ethane-1,2-diamine when the complex ion is formed. (3)
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q7(a) (1 mark): What is the expected bond angle in a boron trichloride molecule, BCl3? (1) A 90° B 107° C 109.5° D 120°
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q7(b) (1 mark): What is the expected bond angle in an ammonium ion? (1) A 90° B 104.5° C 107° D 109.5°
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q7(c) (1 mark): What is the expected bond angle in an oxygen difluoride molecule, OF2? (1) A 90° B 104.5° C 109.5° D 180° Use this space for any rough working. Anything you wri
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q15(b)(ii) (2 marks): Silane has a molecular structure. Complete the table, giving the shape of a molecule of SiH4 and its bond angle. (2) Name of shape Bond angle
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q5 (1 mark): Which molecule is polar? A CO2(g) B CCl4(g) C BeCl2(g) D NH3(g)
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q21(b)(ii) (2 marks): Suggest a value for the O B O bond angle. Justify your answer. (2)
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q18(c)(ii) (4 marks): Explain the shape and bond angle in the molecule BeCl2. (4) Shape Bond angle Explanation
- June 2023, AS Unit 2, Q19(d)(iii) (2 marks): State the shape of intermediate J. Justify your answer. (2)
- January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q13 (1 mark): Which molecule has the largest bond angle? A BCl3 B CO2 C H2O D NH3
- January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q14 (1 mark): Which molecule is polar? A 1,1‑dibromopropane B E‑1,2‑dibromoethene C hexafluoroethane D tetrachloromethane Use this space for any rough working. Anything you w
- January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q25(a)(i) (1 mark): State the shape of a molecule of aluminium trichloride, AlCl3. (1)
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q8 (1 mark): A stream of liquid from a burette is deflected by a charged rod. burette charged rod + + + + + + + beaker Which substance, in its liquid state, will be deflecte
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q16(d)(iii) (2 marks): Use your answer to (d)(ii) and electron‑pair repulsion theory to predict the –. name of the shape and bond angle of the ion GeH3 (2) Name of the shape Bond angl
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q21(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain the shape of the carbon dioxide molecule. (3)
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q22(c)(ii) (3 marks): Suggest a value for the Cl–S–Cl bond angle. Justify your answer. (3)
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q12(d) (4 marks): The Cl—Be—Cl bond angle is different in the two forms of beryllium chloride. Predict the two bond angles, justifying your answers by referring to electron‑pair
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q12 (1 mark): Which molecule is planar? A CF4 B C2F4 C PF5 D SF6
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q22(c)(ii) (3 marks): Predict the shape of a PCl4 + ion. Justify your answer. (3) Shape Justification
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q19(a) (3 marks): Nitrogen trichloride, NCl3 , has a molecular structure. The displayed formula of a molecule of NCl3 is shown. Cl Cl N Cl Complete the table for this molecule. (
- January 2021, AS Unit 2, Q4 (1 mark): The hydrogen ion, H+, bonds to a water molecule forming an H3O+ ion. For H3O+, what shape and H-O-H bond angle are predicted by the electron-pair repulsion theo
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q15 (1 mark): In which sequence are the molecules in order of decreasing bond angle? A BeCl2 > BCl3 > CH4 B BeCl2 > NH3 > CH4 C CH4 > BCl3 > BeCl2 D CH4 > NH3 > BeCl2
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q19(c)(ii) (2 marks): Explain the shape of the ammonium ion using electron‑pair repulsion theory. (2)
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q12 (1 mark): Which of these molecules is polar? A OF2 B BF3 C CF4 D PF5
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q13 (1 mark): Which species has its correct shape and bond angle shown? Species Shape Bond angle 120q + A CH3 trigonal planar 109.5q B NH3 pyramidal 90q + C NH4 square planar
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q21(f)(iii) (3 marks): Cyclohexanol is the product of Reaction 2. O a H b Bond angle a = 109.5q Explain why bond angle b is smaller than bond angle a. Include the expected value for b
- June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q4 (1 mark): Which is correct for tetrafluoromethane (CF4)? F C F F F Bonds Molecule A polar polar B non-polar polar C polar non-polar D non-polar non-polar
- June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q23(b) (2 marks): Draw a diagram to show the shape of a water molecule. Give the bond angle. (2) Bond angle
- June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q23(c)(ii) (3 marks): Explain the shape of this molecule using the electron-pair repulsion theory. (3)
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q11 (1 mark): Which species is not tetrahedral? A CCl4 B CH4 C ICl4 − + D NH4
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q24(c)(ii) (3 marks): Complete the table to predict the shape and Cl Cl bond angle in N nitrogen trichloride. (3) Number of bonding pairs of electrons on nitrogen Number of lone pair
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