Question

What type of hybridisation is involved for oxygen in H₂O? Give reason for your answer.

Answer 1

1. Oxygen in H₂O undergoes sp³ hybridisation.
2. One 2s and three 2p orbitals of oxygen mix to form four sp³ hybrid orbitals.
3. Two sp³ orbitals form O-H bonds by overlapping with 1s orbitals of hydrogen atoms.
4. The other two sp³ orbitals contain lone pairs of electrons.
5. This results in a bent shape with a bond angle ≈ 104.5°, less than 109.5° due to lone pair repulsion.

Thus, sp³ hybridisation explains the molecular structure of water.