Final answer:
True, lone pairs exert a greater repelling effect than bonding electrons because they occupy more space around the central atom, leading to increased electrostatic repulsions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement lone pairs have a greater repelling effect than that of bonding electrons is true. Lone pairs of electrons represent regions of higher electron density, as they are not shared between two nuclei. Therefore, they occupy more space around the central atom. This increased space requirement results in greater electrostatic repulsion compared to bonding pairs of electrons. The order of electrostatic repulsions from strongest to weakest is lone pair-lone pair (LP-LP) > lone pair-bonding pair (LP-BP) > bonding pair-bonding pair (BP-BP). Thus, when structuring molecules, lone pairs are placed as far away from each other as possible to minimize these repulsions, influencing molecular geometry.