In VSEPR theory, which statement best describes its purpose?

• A. It uses molecular orbital interactions to predict geometry
• B. It predicts molecular geometry based on electron-pair repulsion around the central atom
• C. It explains bond polarity through electronegativity differences
• D. It describes the formation of hybrid orbitals

Answer: (B)

VSEPR theory aims to predict the shape of a molecule by considering how electron pairs around the central atom repel each other. Each electron pair—the bonding pairs shared in bonds and the lone pairs not involved in bonding—forms a region of electron density that pushes others away. The arrangement that minimizes these repulsions gives the observed geometries, such as linear, trigonal planar, or tetrahedral, and explains deviations in bond angles when lone pairs are present. This approach focuses on geometry arising from electron-domain repulsion, not on how molecular orbitals interact, how bonds polarize due to electronegativity differences, or how hybrid orbitals form. So the best description is that it predicts molecular geometry based on electron-pair repulsion around the central atom.