What is the approximate bond angle found in water ($ ext{H}_2 ext{O}$), which has two lone pairs on the central oxygen atom?
Answer
104.5°
Water has four total electron domains, suggesting a tetrahedral base angle of $109.5^ ext{o}$. However, the stronger repulsion from the two lone pairs compresses the H-O-H angle down to approximately $104.5^ ext{o}$.
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