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My understanding is that a H2O molecule cannot be linear due to repulsions between the electrons of the non-bonding domains and the hydrogen:

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However i was wondering why the structure could not take this form where the repulsions cancel out, resulting in a linear molecule:

enter image description here

Any answers would be helpful!

Varshil MVH Pets
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  • sp3 orbitals seem to bring more electrons closer to the nuclei than the p orbitals for the unshared pairs. It is a balance between attraction and repulsion. – jimchmst Mar 21 '24 at 07:41
  • There is a detailed answer here https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/14981/why-does-bond-angle-decrease-in-the-order-h2o-h2s-h2se/57973#57973 – porphyrin Mar 21 '24 at 08:05

0 Answers0