Why is the H-O-H bond angle ≈104.5°?
Correct answer: A. Lone pairs repel bonding pairs
- A. Lone pairs repel bonding pairs
- B. Hydrogen's electronegativity
- C. Lone pairs have no effect
- D. Oxygen's sp² hybridization
Explanation
Oxygen in H₂O has two lone pairs, which repel the O-H bonds more strongly than bonding pairs repel each other. This pushes the hydrogens closer together, reducing the bond angle from 109.5° to ≈104.5°.
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Chemical bonding explains molecular shape through VSEPR theory and distinguishes sigma bonds from pi bonds. Questions involve hybridization, bond angles, dipole moment and bond energy, including how electron-pair repulsion determines geometry and how bond polarity differs from the overall polarity of a molecule.
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