Question detail
Which of the following correctly describes the shape of a water molecule (H2O)?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Bonding
Question
- A. Linear
- B. Trigonal planar
- C. Bent
- D. Tetrahedral
Answer
Bent
Explanation
Water has two bonding pairs and two lone pairs, resulting in a bent shape due to the repulsion between the lone pairs, which decreases the bond angle from the ideal tetrahedral angle.
Common mistake
Predicting Molecular Shapes
Students often confuse the number of electron pairs with the number of bonds when predicting molecular shapes, leading to incorrect shapes being assigned.
To accurately predict molecular shapes using electron-pair repulsion, remember to count both bonding pairs and lone pairs of electrons. For example, in a molecule like water (H₂O), there are two bonding pairs and two lone pairs. This results in a bent shape due to the repulsion between the lone pairs, which is stronger than that between bonding pairs.
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