Theory is beautiful, but experiments confirm reality.

To figure out the geometry, we first look at the valence electrons: 6 valence electrons Oxygen (O): 6 valence electrons 4 = 24 electrons Charge (-2): Add 2 electrons Total: 32 valence electrons

hybrid orbitals, which then point toward the corners of a tetrahedron to bond with the oxygen atoms. 5. Polarity

In a perfect tetrahedron, the atoms are spread out symmetrically.