Question

b. non - bonding electrons/lone pair electron domains are typically localized on the central atom while bonding electrons/domains are shared between the central atom and another atom. based on this, propose a reason for why water (h₂o) has a larger difference than ammonia (nh₃) when comparing the real bond angle to the model bond angle:

Explanation:

Lone - pair electron domains exert greater repulsion than bonding domains. Water (\(H_2O\)) has two lone pairs on the central oxygen atom, while ammonia (\(NH_3\)) has one lone pair on the central nitrogen atom. The greater number of lone pairs in \(H_2O\) causes stronger repulsion, leading to a larger deviation of the real bond angle from the model bond angle compared to \(NH_3\).

Answer:

Water (\(H_2O\)) has two lone pairs on the central atom, while ammonia (\(NH_3\)) has one. The extra lone pair in \(H_2O\) causes stronger repulsion, resulting in a larger difference between the real and model bond angles.