Tetrahedral Definition - Chemistry Glossary

Tetrahedral is a descriptor of the geometry of a molecule in which a central atom forms four bonds which are directed toward the corners of a regular tetrahedron. Tetrahedral geometry forms a solid with four vertices and four sides, all of which are equilateral triangles. Examples of tetrahedral molecules include methane (CH4) and the ammonium ion (NH4). The bond angle for both methane and ammonium is 109.4Ëš.