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What molecules have tetrahedral arrangement of electron pairs but is not a tetrahedral molecule.

Methane
Water
Carbon dioxide
Boron trifluoride

User SamiAzar
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1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

The correct answer is Water

Step-by-step explanation:

A water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.Both hydrogen atoms are linked with the single oxygen atom by covalent bonding.

As oxygen atom contain 6 electrons in the valence orbital,among them 2 are used to form two covalent bond with two hydrogen atom and the rest 4 electrons are present as 2 lone pair of electrons.That"s why oxygen atom in H2O molecule is sp3 hybridized.According to the theory hybridization a sp3 hybridized molecule should have a tetrahedral arrangement.

But in in case of sp3 hybridized water molecule the tetrahedral arrangement is prevented due to priority of lone pair-lone pair repulsion.

User Ddmps
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