Asked by knmk

The angle between the hydrogen atoms in water (H2O) is slightly less than expected for a tetrahedral shape. This is because of the
extra electron repulsion from the lone pairs.
atomic radius of the oxygen atom.
additional repulsion of the shared electrons.
extra repulsion of the hydrogen atoms.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
extra electron repulsion from the lone pairs.

Lone pairs occupy more space than bonding pairs, so they push the H–O bonding pairs closer together, reducing the H–O–H angle from 109.5° to about 104.5°.