Valence shell electron pair repulsion theory (VSEPR)

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory explains how atoms in molecules arrange themselves based on the repulsion between electron pairs in their outermost shell. Electron pairs—bonding pairs that connect atoms and lone pairs that do not—are like charges that repel each other. To minimize this repulsion, these pairs spread out as far as possible around the central atom, determining the molecule's overall shape. VSEPR is a useful model for predicting molecular geometries and understanding how atoms bond to form different structures.