Water (H2O) is something we use everyday, but have you ever thought about how it’s built at the atomic level? In chemistry, understanding the structure of a water molecule helps you learn about bonds, lone pairs, and molecular shapes. Topics that often come in exams like NEET, JEE, and board tests. In this article, we’ll break down the Lewis structure of H2O, explore its shape, hybridization, and bond angle in a simple way to help you learn faster and remember better.

Lewis Structure of Water

Water, a fundamental component of the Earth, is represented by the molecular formula H2O. The water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, bound together by a covalent bond. Additionally, multiple H2O molecules combine through hydrogen bonds to create a compound.

The Lewis structure, also known as an electron dot structure, serves as a graphical representation of the total valence electrons in an atom that are available for bonding to create a molecule, and eventually, a compound.

The Lewis structure indicates two single sigma bonds between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms. In addition, the oxygen atom has two lone pairs of electrons.

The hybridization of the H2O molecule is sp3, as it has one s orbital and three p orbitals that combine to form four hybrid orbitals.

Polarity of H2O

Water, or H2O, is a polar substance. This is due to the bent shape of the water molecule, which results in an unequal distribution of charge across the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. This leads to a net dipole moment in the water molecule.

Molecular Geometry of H2O

In the H2O molecule, the oxygen atom forms two single sigma bonds with the hydrogen atoms. While these two Hydrogen atoms are symmetrically arranged in the plane, the two lone pairs of electrons on the Oxygen atom repel these atoms. Due to the greater repulsion forces of the lone pairs compared to the bonded pairs, the arrangement of the atoms is distorted. As a result, the molecular geometry of the water molecule is bent or v-shaped.

The bond angle in a water molecule is 104.5°.

Summary Table: Key Properties of H2O

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