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Which structure has all of the hydrogens and lone pairs correctly added

User MHibbin
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Final answer:

The correct Lewis structure notation for water is H:O:H with two lone pairs implicitly placed on the oxygen atom, resulting in a bent molecular geometry due to its sp³ hybridization.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to identifying the correct Lewis structure of water (H₂O) with proper placement of hydrogens and lone pairs. When adding the remaining 4 electrons as two lone pairs to the oxygen atom in water, the correct structure would indeed be H:O:H, which indicates two hydrogen atoms bonded to oxygen. Additionally, two lone pairs on oxygen are assumed, even though they may not be explicitly drawn in the simplified structure presented.

The molecular structure for water is bent or V-shaped due to two lone pairs of electrons that occupy more space and result in a reduced bond angle, making it less than the ideal tetrahedral angle. Water's molecular geometry is a result of the sp³ hybridization of the oxygen atom where two of the hybrid orbitals contain lone pairs and the other two form bonds with hydrogen atoms.

User Thats
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