Place the following in order of increasing X-A-X bond angle,where A represents the central atom and X represents the outer atoms in each molecule.
HCN H₂O H₃O^⁺

Question

Place the following in order of increasing X-A-X bond angle,where A represents the central atom and X represents the outer atoms in each molecule. HCN H₂O H₃O^⁺ A)HCN < H₂O < H₃O^⁺ B)H₃O^⁺ < H₂O < HCN C)HCN < H₃O^⁺ < H₂O D)H₂O < HCN < H₃O^⁺ E)H₂O < H₃O^⁺ < HCN

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can determine the bond angle by looking at the geometry of the molecule. HCN has a linear geometry, so the X-A-X angle is 180 degrees. H₂O has a bent geometry with an approximate bond angle of 109.5 degrees. H₃O^⁺ has a trigonal pyramidal geometry with an approximate bond angle of 107 degrees. Therefore, the increasing order of X-A-X bond angles is H₂O < H₃O^⁺ < HCN. Therefore, the best choice is E.

Place the Following in Order of Increasing X-A-X Bond Angle,where