The shape of carbocation is :

We need to determine the shape of a carbocation.

Understand the electronic structure of a carbocation

A carbocation is a positively charged carbon species, such as $$CH_3^+$$. The carbon atom in a carbocation has only 6 electrons (3 bonding pairs) instead of the usual 8. It has:

- 3 bond pairs (from three bonds to hydrogen or other groups)

- 0 lone pairs

- 1 empty (vacant) p-orbital

Determine the hybridisation

With only 3 regions of electron density (3 bond pairs and no lone pairs), the carbon in a carbocation undergoes sp$$^2$$ hybridisation. The three sp$$^2$$ hybrid orbitals form bonds, while the unhybridised p-orbital remains empty and is perpendicular to the plane of the three bonds.

Determine the geometry

According to VSEPR theory and the sp$$^2$$ hybridisation, three bond pairs with no lone pairs arrange themselves at $$120°$$ angles in a plane to minimise repulsion. This gives a trigonal planar geometry.

The bond angles are all $$120°$$, and all three bonds lie in the same plane with the carbon atom at the centre.

The correct answer is Option (2): trigonal planar.