In which molecule is the bond angle closest to 120°?
Practice Questions
Q1
In which molecule is the bond angle closest to 120°?
H2O
CO2
BF3
NH3
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In which molecule is the bond angle closest to 120°?
Step 1: Understand what a bond angle is. A bond angle is the angle between two bonds that connect to the same atom.
Step 2: Learn about molecular geometry. Different shapes of molecules have different bond angles.
Step 3: Identify the geometry of BF3 (Boron Trifluoride). BF3 has three bonds and no lone pairs on the central atom (Boron).
Step 4: Recognize that BF3 has a trigonal planar shape. This means the three bonds are spread out evenly around the central atom.
Step 5: Know that in a trigonal planar geometry, the bond angles are approximately 120°.
Step 6: Compare BF3 with other molecules to see if they have bond angles close to 120°. Most other common molecules with three bonds have different angles.
