MolDraw › Templates › General & inorganic › VSEPR shapes
VSEPR shapes template
Free template. Download it, or open it in MolDraw to change it first.
All common VSEPR geometries from 2 to 6 electron domains: CO₂, BF₃, SO₂, CH₄, NH₃, H₂O, PCl₅, SF₄, ClF₃, XeF₂, SF₆, BrF₅ and XeF₄ in perspective with lone pairs, AXₘEₙ notation and bond angles.
What the template shows
- Electron domains around the central atom set the electron geometry; lone pairs decide the molecular shape
- Electron geometry: linear
- Electron geometry: trigonal planar
- Trigonal planar
- Electron geometry: tetrahedral
- Trigonal pyramidal
- Electron geometry: trigonal bipyramidal
- Trigonal bipyramidal
- Electron geometry: octahedral
- Square pyramidal
- Square planar
- Count electron domains on the central atom: each bonded atom and each lone pair is one; a double or triple bond counts once.
- Lone pairs repel more than bonding pairs (lp–lp > lp–bp > bp–bp), so angles close up: CH₄ 109.5°, NH₃ 107°, H₂O 104.5°.
- With five domains lone pairs take equatorial sites (seesaw, T-shape, linear XeF₂); with six, a second lone pair goes trans (square planar XeF₄).
- AXₘEₙ: m atoms bonded to the central atom A, n lone pairs on it. Lone pairs on the outer atoms are not drawn.
- Wedges point toward you, hashed bonds away. Angles are experimental gas-phase values, rounded.
- Every part of this figure is editable · sources on the template card
Drawn with 423 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.
Sources
How to use this template
- Press Edit in MolDraw. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
- Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
- Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
- Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the VSEPR shapes template free?
Yes. The VSEPR shapes template is one of the free MolDraw templates: open it in the editor or download it from this page as SVG or PNG and use it in your slides, worksheets and notes.
Can I edit the VSEPR shapes template?
Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.
Is the chemistry checked?
Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.
Which MO diagrams are included?
H₂ and He₂, N₂ and O₂ (showing s–p mixing and paramagnetic O₂), and carbon monoxide.