Five and Six Domains

Seesaws, T-shapes and squares

An interactive lesson with 7 steps, about 6 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Trigonal bipyramid: lone pairs go equatorial (fewer 90° neighbours).
• Seesaw (4+1), T-shape (3+2), linear (2+3); octahedral family: square pyramid (5+1), square planar (4+2).

Steps

1. Two kinds of seat
2. Pick a seat
3. Close neighbours
4. Make a T
5. A noble gas compound
6. Straight again
7. Why not flat?