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Square pyramidal molecular geometry
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<p>Square pyramidal geometry describes the shape of certain <a href="/facts/Chemical_compound/37FXqqtv">chemical compounds</a> with the formula ML5 where L is a <a href="/facts/Ligand/6etB3qeW">ligand</a>. If the ligand atoms were connected, the resulting shape would be that of a <a href="/facts/Square_pyramid/wDetDohM">pyramid with a square base</a>. The <a href="/facts/Point_group_symmetry/CNqeseMp">point group symmetry</a> involved is of type C4v. The geometry is common for certain <a href="/facts/Main_group/2AG3QxJl">main group</a> compounds that have a <a href="/facts/Stereochemistry/XkcRVNwd">stereochemically</a>-active <a href="/facts/Lone_pair/Q6kEAC4g">lone pair</a>, as described by <a href="/facts/VSEPR_theory/WqsRgVRV">VSEPR theory</a>. Certain compounds <a href="/facts/Crystallize/oCUUG80k">crystallize</a> in both the trigonal bipyramidal and the square pyramidal structures, notably [Ni(CN)5]3−. </p>