Cis-platin [PtCl2(NH3)2] is an anti-cancer drug that reacts by binding...
In cis-platin, platinum is in a Pt(II) form, which means that platinum still has a d8 configuration. Additionally, each of the ligands donates both electrons to form the coordinate covalent bond, so platinum has a 16 electron configuration. That is not necessary to answer the question since we are looking for a molecular geometry.
What determines the molecular geometry is the number of atoms attached, and here the ligands. Cis-platin has four ligands attached, 2 NH3 and 2 Cl‾.
We need a molecular geometry that allows for only 4 attached atoms or ligands, and tetrahedral and square planar fits that bill. Square pyramidal and trigonal pyramidal are geometries with 5 and 3 attached atoms, respectively.
In order for the molecule to have a stereocenter, only tetrahedral, square pyramidal, and square planar would work as the molecular geometry. Tetrahedral would give a stereocenter if all four substituents or attached atoms were different, and square pyramidal once again needs 5 attached atoms or ligands.
Additionally, there are 4 lone pairs as well as four ligands. With four lone pairs, square planar and square pyramidal are the only configurations that can accommodate four electron pairs.
Only in the square planar configuration will the following geometric isomers form: