CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

Trigonal bipyramidal (trigonal bipyramidal shape) is a molecular geometry that results when there are five bonds and no lone pairs on the central atom in the molecule. Three of the bonds are arranged along the atom’s equator, with 120° angles between them; the other two are placed at the atom’s axis. Axial bonds are at right angles to the equatorial bonds. Molecules with an trigonal bipyramidal electron pair geometries have sp³d (or dsp³) hybridization at the central atom. The PCl₅ molecule has a trigonal bipyramidal molecular geometry.