Question

$H-O-H$ bond angle in $H_{2}O$ is ${104.5}^o$ and not ${109.28}^o$ because of

• A. lone pair-lone pair repulsion
• B. lone pair-bond pair repulsion
• C. bond pair-bond pair repulsion
• D. high electronegativity of oxygen

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

The hybridisation of oxygen in water molecule is $s{p}^3$ . So, water molecule must be tetrahedral and have bond angle ${109}^{o}28$ . But due to the presence of two lone pair of electrons on oxygen atom (repulsion between lone pair-lone pair) the bond angle decreases about ${104.5}^o$ and the geometry becomes distorted tertrahedral or $V-$ shaped.