Why is a water molecule bent?
Water is H₂O: an oxygen atom sharing a pair of electrons with each of two hydrogen atoms. You might expect a straight line, H–O–H, but the angle is about 104.5°. Oxygen also has two pairs of electrons that aren’t in bonds, and they push the hydrogens closer together. Turn the molecules round. Why is carbon dioxide (on the right) straight?
Asked by calcali
1 answer
Carbon has no spare pairs: all four of its outer electrons are used in two double bonds, one to each oxygen. Those two bonds push each other as far apart as they can go, which is 180°.
by calcali