Question

Two examples of molecules with unshared pairs of electrons commonly seen in organic chemistry are Ammonia NH3 and water H2O. Give their hybridization, geometry and say how many unpaired electrons they each have and where.

Answer 1

Ammonia (NH3) and Water (H2O) both have sp³ hybridization, with Ammonia having a trigonal pyramidal geometry with one lone pair (two unshared electrons), and Water having a bent molecular geometry with two lone pairs (four unshared electrons).

Step-by-step explanation:

The two examples of molecules with unshared pairs of electrons commonly seen in organic chemistry are Ammonia (NH3) and Water (H2O). For ammonia, the nitrogen atom undergoes sp3 hybridization, having one lone pair and three bonding pairs of electrons, which results in a trigonal pyramidal geometry.

Ammonia has a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom which means it has two unshared electrons. Water on the other hand also exhibits sp3 hybridization, with two lone pairs and two bonding pairs. This gives water a bent molecular geometry. Water has two lone pairs which means there are four unshared electrons on the oxygen atom.