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Molecular geometry or '''molecular structure''' is the Three Dimensional arrangement of the Atoms that constitute a Molecule , inferred from the Spectroscopic studies of the Compound . It determines several properties of a substance including its Reactivity , Polarity , Phase Of Matter , Color , Magnetism , and Biological Activity . A defined molecular geometry at Equilibrium can only be expected at Temperatures close to Absolute Zero because at higher temperatures the atoms will wobble around. The molecular geometry can be measured by X-ray Crystallography and computed by Quantum Mechanical calculations or through semi-empirical Molecular Modeling . Larger molecules often exist in multiple stable Conformation s that differ in their molecular geometry. The position of each atom is determined by the nature of the Chemical Bond s by which it is connected to its neighboring atoms. The molecular geometry can be described by the positions of these atoms in space, evoking Bond Length s of two joined atoms, bond angles of three connected atoms, and Torsion Angle s of three consecutive bonds. BONDING Molecules, by definition, are most often held together with Covalent Bond s involving single, double, and/or triple bonds, where a "bond" is a shared pair of electrons (the other method of bonding between atoms is called Ionic Bonding and involves a positive Cation and a negative Anion ). Molecular geometries can be specified in terms of bond lengths, '''bonds angles''' and '''torsional angles'''. The bond length is defined to be the average distance between the centers of two atoms bonded together in any given molecule. A bond angle is the angle formed by three atoms bonded together. For four atoms bonded together in a straight chain, the torsional angle is the angle between the plane formed by the first three atoms and the plane formed by the last three atoms. Molecular geometry is determined by the type of bonds between the atoms that make up the molecule. Before atoms interact to form a Chemical Bond , the atomic orbitals mix in a process called Orbital Hybridisation . The two most common types of bonds are: An understanding of these bonds is in the domain of Valence Bond Theory , which relies on an understanding of the wavelike behavior of electrons in atoms and molecules. ISOMERS Isomer s are types of molecules that share a chemical formula but have different geometries, resulting in very different properties:
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