Water’s Molecular Geometry and Bond Angles

Water is the most abundantly found resource, as all the oceans, seas, rivers, and water bodies comprise of water. When we first begin to study, we get to know that the chemical formula of water is H2O. This means that in a single water molecule there are two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Another name for the water molecule is Dihydrogen Monoxide (consisting of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom) Like all other chemical compounds, water too has bonds and here we will discuss the geometry and angles that the water compound makes.

The structure is scientifically known as the Lewis Structure and popularly named the Electron-dot Structure which means that it represents the molecule of water diagrammatically. This in turn makes the number of valence electrons or the electrons in the last shell of the atom known. The number of valence electrons makes sure the number of electrons that are free to create bonds and then a compound. The prediction of the geometrical shape of the molecule of water is done on the theory of Valence-Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR).

Characteristics of the Molecular Geometry of Water:

1. Two lone pairs

The two-electron pairs are situated at the vertices of the molecule. These pairs are lone as they do not form a bond with the adjacent hydrogen atoms. The lone pairs of oxygen exist on the valence shell of the oxygen atom.

2. V-Shaped geometry

There are in total two vertices that are occupied in a water molecule. That explains how there is a V-shape of formation of the lone pairs of electrons. That is why there is not a linear shape to the molecule.

3.   Angle between 104.5 to 109

By the VSEPR theory the scientists are able to predict the angle between the bonds of the two hydrogen atoms. They can tell that a typical tetrahedral molecule has an angle of 1090. However, in the case of a water molecule there is a smaller angle than usual. In the case of an ammonium molecule there is still a larger angle.

4. Bent Geometrical Structure

The geometric structure of a single water molecule is bent. In order for a molecule to have a bent structure there has to be a pair of lone electrons. These lone pairs of electrons repel the hydrogen bond making the geometry of the whole molecule bent in a V-Shape.

5. Geometrical Structure called Lewis Structure

The structure of the water molecule, which is called the Lewis Structure, determines that there are in total 8 valence electrons that help form the bonds in the triatomic molecule of water. With two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen.

6. Tetrahedral bend

The whole molecule is tetrahedral as there are 8 electrons in the outermost shell of the molecule. These make two hydrogen bonds and there are two pairs of lone electrons in the outer shell.

Hybrid H2O Molecule

The sigma bonds in the bonding system are known to be the strongest covalent bonds that exist. The bonds that are formed between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms in a water molecule have sigma (σ) bonds and have no pi(π) bonds. The hybridization of the oxygen atoms is sp3 which means that is possible only when there are two lone pairs of oxygen electrons present. There are in total four orbits that are the one 2 s orbital and three 2 p orbitals.

Conclusion

In total, there are two bonds that one oxygen atom makes with the hydrogen atoms. The bonds that the oxygen atom makes with the hydrogen atoms is the strongest bond called the sigma bond. The angle that this bond makes is included in the tetrahedron bonds. The angular distance between tetrahedral bonds is 1090  but the angular distance between the hydrogen bonds is 104.50. The bonds are pushed downwards because of the pair of two lone electrons present at the vertices of the molecule, making a bent geometrical structure.