Is SO2 planar or non planar?

To determine whether SO2 (sulfur dioxide) is planar or non-planar, we need to examine its molecular geometry and electron pair arrangement.

Molecular Geometry
The molecular geometry of a molecule describes the arrangement of its atoms in three-dimensional space. It is determined by the number of electron pairs around the central atom and the arrangement of the atoms bonded to the central atom.

Electron Pair Arrangement
The electron pair arrangement refers to the spatial arrangement of all electron pairs, including both bonding and non-bonding pairs, around the central atom. It is determined by the number of electron pairs and the presence of any lone pairs on the central atom.

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) Theory
The VSEPR theory states that electron pairs, whether bonding or non-bonding, repel each other and tend to position themselves as far apart as possible to minimize repulsion. This repulsion determines the molecular geometry and electron pair arrangement of a molecule.

SO2 Molecular Geometry and Electron Pair Arrangement
In SO2, sulfur (S) is the central atom surrounded by two oxygen (O) atoms. The Lewis structure of SO2 shows that there are two regions of electron density around the sulfur atom.

According to the VSEPR theory, a molecule with two electron pairs will adopt a bent or V-shaped molecular geometry. This means that the two oxygen atoms will be positioned on opposite sides of the sulfur atom, forming a bent shape.

Planar or Non-Planar
Based on the molecular geometry and electron pair arrangement of SO2, it can be concluded that SO2 is non-planar.

The bent molecular geometry of SO2 indicates that the molecule is not planar but has a three-dimensional structure. In a planar molecule, all atoms and electron pairs lie in the same plane. However, in SO2, the oxygen atoms are positioned above and below the plane of the sulfur atom, resulting in a non-planar structure.