The bond angles in H2O2 are approximately:
A. 90°
B. 105°
C. 109.5°
D. 120°
Ε. 180°
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is C. 109.5°.
Explanation:
Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has a non-linear, skewed or “open book” structure due to its molecular geometry and the presence of lone pairs on the oxygen atoms.
1. Molecular Structure of H₂O₂:
- Hydrogen peroxide consists of two oxygen atoms connected by a single bond (O–O), with each oxygen atom also bonded to a hydrogen atom.
- The structure exhibits hydrogen bonding and a non-planar arrangement.
- The O–O bond is not linear due to repulsions from lone pairs on oxygen.
2. Hybridization and Bond Angles:
- Each oxygen atom in H₂O₂ is sp³ hybridized. This is similar to water (H₂O), which has an ideal tetrahedral geometry.
- Due to the lone pairs on oxygen, the actual bond angle is slightly less than the tetrahedral angle of 109.5° but close to it.
3. Influence of Lone Pairs:
- Lone pairs exert greater repulsion than bonding pairs, causing a deviation from the perfect tetrahedral angle.
- The O–H bonds are bent due to these repulsions.
4. Observed Bond Angle:
- The experimentally determined H–O–O bond angle in H₂O₂ is approximately 111.5° in the gas phase, close to the ideal tetrahedral value of 109.5°.
- This makes option C (109.5°) the closest approximation.
Conclusion:
H₂O₂ has a bent, skewed structure due to lone pair repulsions and sp³ hybridization, leading to a bond angle near 109.5°.
Now, I’ll generate an image of the molecular structure.
Here is the 3D molecular structure of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), showing its skewed or “open book” shape with a bond angle close to 109.5°.