For the series methane, ammonia, and water, the bond angle increases in the following order: H₂O

Question

For the series methane, ammonia, and water, the bond angle increases in the following order: H₂O < NH₃ < CH₄. This trend is due to ________ A)a decreasing effective nuclear charge. B)a decrease in the number of lone pairs. C)an increase in atomic radius. D)an increase in the polarity of the molecules. E)an increasing effective nuclear charge.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bond angle increases from methane to ammonia to water primarily because of the increase in the number of lone pairs on the central atom, which affects the bond angles due to repulsion forces. Methane has no lone pairs, ammonia has one, and water has two, leading to increasing repulsion and thus increasing bond angles.

For the Series Methane, Ammonia, and Water, the Bond Angle