Question

If a molecule has 2 bonds around the central atom, what geometry can it have? 1) Trigonal pyramidal 2) bent 3) Trigonal planar 4) tetrahedral

Answer 1

If a molecule has 2 bonds around the central atom, it can have 2) bent.

Step-by-step explanation:

This geometry can be viewed as a trigonal planar arrangement with a missing vertex. The bond angle is expected to be less than 120° because of the extra space taken up by the lone pair.

One example of a molecule with a bent geometry is water (H2O). Oxygen (O) is the central atom and it forms two bonds with Hydrogen (H) atoms. The lone pair on the oxygen atom causes the molecule to have a bent geometry with bond angles of approximately 104.5°.

In summary, when a molecule has 2 bonds around the central atom, the geometry is bent or trigonal planar with a missing vertex. The bond angles are affected by the presence of lone pairs, causing the angles to be less than 120°. Therefore the correct answer is 2) bent