{"id":221965,"date":"2025-05-30T18:33:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T18:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnexams.com\/blog\/?p=221965"},"modified":"2025-05-30T18:33:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T18:33:44","slug":"what-is-the-molecular-shape-of-the-oxygen-in-methanol-shown-below","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/30\/what-is-the-molecular-shape-of-the-oxygen-in-methanol-shown-below\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Molecular Shape Of The Oxygen In Methanol, Shown Below"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

QUESTION 12 What Is The Molecular Shape Of The Oxygen In Methanol, Shown Below? H-C-Q-H \u0420-\u041d O A. Linear O B. Bent O C. Trigonal Planar O D. Trigonal Pyramidal O E. Tetrahedral<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Correct Answer: B. Bent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In methanol (CH\u2083OH<\/strong>), the molecule consists of a central carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms and one hydroxyl group (-OH). We are asked to determine the molecular shape around the oxygen atom<\/strong> specifically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Draw the Lewis Structure<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Methanol\u2019s Lewis structure shows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Carbon (C) forms four single bonds: three with hydrogen (H) atoms and one with the oxygen (O) atom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Oxygen (O) is bonded to one hydrogen and one carbon, and it has two lone pairs<\/strong> of electrons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    So, the oxygen atom in methanol has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • 2 bonding pairs<\/strong> (O\u2013H and O\u2013C),<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 2 lone pairs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Step 2: Apply VSEPR Theory<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      According to Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) Theory<\/strong>, electron domains (bonding and lone pairs) arrange themselves to minimize repulsion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The electron geometry for a central atom with four electron groups (2 bonds + 2 lone pairs) is tetrahedral<\/strong>. However, molecular shape is determined only by the positions of the atoms (not the lone pairs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      With two bonds and two lone pairs, the resulting molecular shape<\/strong> is bent<\/strong> (also known as “angular”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This is similar to the shape of a water (H\u2082O) molecule, which also has two bonds and two lone pairs on the oxygen atom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Step 3: Consider Bond Angles<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Due to lone pair repulsion being stronger than bonding pair repulsion, the bond angle is slightly less than the tetrahedral angle of 109.5\u00b0, typically around 104.5\u00b0<\/strong> for a bent structure like in water and methanol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Conclusion:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Thus, the molecular shape around the oxygen atom<\/strong> in methanol is bent<\/strong>, not linear, trigonal planar, trigonal pyramidal, or tetrahedral (the latter describes electron geometry, not molecular shape). The correct answer is B. Bent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      QUESTION 12 What Is The Molecular Shape Of The Oxygen In Methanol, Shown Below? H-C-Q-H \u0420-\u041d O A. Linear O B. Bent O C. Trigonal Planar O D. Trigonal Pyramidal O E. Tetrahedral The Correct Answer and Explanation is: Correct Answer: B. Bent Explanation: In methanol (CH\u2083OH), the molecule consists of a central carbon atom […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-221965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221965\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}