Why does the presence of lone pairs contribute to the polarity of a water molecule?

They allow the bonds between oxygen and hydrogen to be single.

They increase the partial positive charge on the oxygen atom.

They prevent the atoms from forming a linear molecule.

They counter the uneven pull on electrons between the atoms

Question

Chemistry

Ricardo Kerr

26 January, 21:11

Why does the presence of lone pairs contribute to the polarity of a water molecule?

They allow the bonds between oxygen and hydrogen to be single.

They increase the partial positive charge on the oxygen atom.

They prevent the atoms from forming a linear molecule.

They counter the uneven pull on electrons between the atoms

+1

Answers (1)

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Ryan Mcintyre · Answer 1

The presence of lone pairs contribute to the polarity of a water molecule because " They prevent the atoms from forming a linear molecule." The lone pairs of electrons found on the vertices of a water molecule cause the bent shape of the molecule. This means that the charges on each side do not cancel themselves out which would happen if they had a linear structure.