Here's why:
* Central atom: Carbon (C) is the central atom.
* Valence electrons: Carbon has 4 valence electrons.
* Surrounding atoms: There are 4 chlorine (Cl) atoms surrounding the carbon atom.
* Electron pairs: Each Cl atom shares one electron with the carbon atom, forming a single covalent bond. Therefore, there are 4 bonding pairs of electrons around the carbon atom.
* Repulsion: These four electron pairs repel each other equally, leading to a symmetrical arrangement where the electron pairs are as far apart as possible.
* Shape: This arrangement results in a tetrahedral geometry, where the carbon atom is at the center and the four chlorine atoms occupy the corners of a tetrahedron.
Summary: CCl4 has a tetrahedral VSEPR shape because it has four bonding pairs of electrons around the central carbon atom, which repel each other equally.
