No, carbon dioxide (CO2) is not trigonal planar; it has a linear molecular geometry.
To understand why, we need to look at the structure of CO2. A carbon atom in the center is double-bonded to two oxygen atoms. According to the VSEPR theory, which helps predict the shape of molecules, the geometry around the central atom depends on the number of bonding pairs and lone pairs of electrons.
In the case of CO2, the carbon atom has two double bonds (one with each oxygen) and no lone pairs. This results in a linear arrangement, with a bond angle of 180 degrees between the two bonds. Therefore, it’s incorrect to describe CO2 as trigonal planar, which is a geometry typically seen in molecules with three bond pairs and no lone pairs, resulting in 120-degree bond angles.