CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

Octahedral molecular geometry (square bipyramidal shape) describes the shape of compounds where six atoms or ligands are symmetrically arranged around a central atom. The sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), with six bonding pairs, is predicted and found to be a regular octahedron. Four of the attachments are positioned in a square plane with 90° bond angles. The remaining two attachments are positioned perpendicular (90°) to the square plane at opposite ends of the central atom. Molecules with an octahedral electron pair geometries have sp³d² (or d²sp³) hybridization at the central atom.