The number of lone pairs on the central atom in a water molecule is
- A. zero
- B. one
- C. two
- D. three
Explanation
Oxygen has six valence electrons, two of which are used in bonding to the hydrogens, leaving two lone pairs. These compress the bond angle from the tetrahedral 109.5 degrees to about 104.5 and make the molecule bent and polar. They are also what allow water to accept two hydrogen bonds.
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