Trigonal planar molecular geometry

A molecular shape in which three atoms surround a central atom in one plane, with bond angles of approximately 120°.

Valence-shell electron-pair repulsion theory: A model that predicts molecular shapes by treating electron domains around a central atom as mutually repulsive. Its repulsion rule predicts 120° separation for three electron domains.
sp² hybridization: An orbital model combining one s orbital and two p orbitals into three coplanar hybrid orbitals. These three orbitals point roughly 120° apart and commonly form the geometry's bonds.
Boron trifluoride: A molecule with a boron atom bonded to three fluorine atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. It is a textbook example with three equivalent B–F bonds and no central lone pair.
Tetrahedral molecular geometry: A molecular shape with four surrounding atoms directed toward the corners of a tetrahedron. Its approximately 109.5° angles differ from the 120° angles of a planar three-coordinate center.
Electron-domain geometry: The arrangement of all bonding and nonbonding electron domains around a central atom. It distinguishes the underlying domain arrangement from the positions of atoms alone.
Hybrid orbital: An atomic orbital formed by mathematically combining orbitals on the same atom. The sp² model describes bonding directions associated with this shape.
Formaldehyde: The simplest aldehyde, with formula CH₂O and a carbonyl carbon bonded to two hydrogens. Its carbonyl carbon has three trigonal planar bonding directions.
Bent molecular geometry: A molecular shape in which two atoms bond to a central atom at an angle. A lone pair can leave three electron domains but only two bonded atoms, producing a bent shape.
Bond angle: The angle between two bonds that share an atom. Angles near 120° are the defining geometric measure of this shape.
Molecular orbital theory: A theory of chemical bonding that describes electrons in orbitals extending over a molecule. It explains bonding without treating localized sp² orbitals as the fundamental description.

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Carbon–carbon bondRelated: Carbon atoms in carbon–carbon double bonds are typically trigonal planar.