Question: What is the bond angle in a water molecule (H2O)?
Options:
120 degrees
109.5 degrees
104.5 degrees
180 degrees
Correct Answer: 104.5 degrees
Solution:
The bond angle in H2O is approximately 104.5 degrees due to the two lone pairs on oxygen.
What is the bond angle in a water molecule (H2O)?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the bond angle in a water molecule (H2O)?
120 degrees
109.5 degrees
104.5 degrees
180 degrees
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the bond angle in a water molecule (H2O)?
Step 1: Understand that a water molecule (H2O) consists of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms.
Step 2: Recognize that the oxygen atom has two lone pairs of electrons that are not involved in bonding.
Step 3: Know that the shape of the water molecule is bent due to the presence of these lone pairs.
Step 4: Learn that the bond angle is the angle between the two hydrogen atoms in the water molecule.
Step 5: Find out that the bond angle in H2O is approximately 104.5 degrees because the lone pairs push the hydrogen atoms closer together.
Molecular Geometry – Understanding the shape of molecules based on VSEPR theory, which explains how electron pairs around a central atom influence bond angles.
Lone Pairs Effect – Recognizing that lone pairs of electrons can repel bonding pairs, affecting the bond angles in a molecule.
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