Is SiCl4 square planar or tetrahedral?

1 Answer
Ernest Z.
Nov 18, 2015

#"SiCl"_4# is tetrahedral.

Explanation:

The Lewis structure of #"SiCl"_4# is

Lewis structure

This is an #"AX"_4#-type molecule, with four #"Si-Cl"# bonds.

According to VSEPR theory, these bonds must be pointing towards the corners of a regular tetrahedron.

Tetrahedron

So #"SiCl"_4# has a tetrahedral shape.

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