Determine the Cl–O–Cl bond angle for the OCl 2 molecule.

Determine the Cloclon Angle for OCl 2 molecule. So oxygen is in group 6 a, Chlorine is in group 7 a and there's 2 of them. So we have 20 total valence electrons. We put oxygen in the center, okay, since there's only 1 oxygen and there's 2 chlorines. So here, we then connect the 2 chlorines to it. We put electrons around the surrounding elements so they follow the octet rule. So at this point, we've used 16 of our electrons, meaning we have 4 electrons remaining, which would go on the central element. In this way, everyone is satisfied, everyone is following the octet rule. Now, we'd say here that our structure has in it 2 bonding groups and 2 lone pairs. So that's 4 electron groups total. Remember, when we have 4 electron groups, our bond angle is 109.5 degrees, the ideal bond angle. But since our central element of oxygen has lone pairs, we'd expect our bond angle to be decreased. So we'd say that the bond angle here would be less than 109.5 degrees. Here, we don't have to worry about drawing it as v shaped or bent. We're here, we're just looking for the bond angle. We know the bond angle will be less than 109.5 degrees because of the presence of lone pairs on the oxygen atom.

Table of contents

Skip topic navigation

1. The Chemical World9m
- The Scientific Method
  9m
2. Measurement and Problem Solving2h 19m
3. Matter and Energy2h 15m
4. Atoms and Elements2h 33m
5. Molecules and Compounds1h 50m
6. Chemical Composition1h 23m
7. Chemical Reactions1h 43m
8. Quantities in Chemical Reactions1h 8m
9. Electrons in Atoms and the Periodic Table2h 32m
10. Chemical Bonding2h 10m
11 Gases2h 7m
12. Liquids, Solids, and Intermolecular Forces1h 11m
13. Solutions3h 1m
14. Acids and Bases2h 14m
15. Chemical Equilibrium1h 27m
16. Oxidation and Reduction1h 33m
17. Radioactivity and Nuclear Chemistry53m

10. Chemical Bonding

Bond Angles (Simplified)

Introduction to Chemistry

10. Chemical Bonding

Bond Angles (Simplified)

Previous problemNext problem

Struggling with Introduction to Chemistry?

Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video

Multiple Choice

Determine the Cl–O–Cl bond angle for the OCl₂ molecule.

>109.5°

<109.5°

>120°

<120°

Previous problemNext problem

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the molecular geometry of OCl2. OCl2 is similar to water (H2O) in terms of its molecular shape, which is bent due to the presence of lone pairs on the oxygen atom.

Recall that the ideal bond angle for a tetrahedral geometry is 109.5°, but the presence of lone pairs can alter this angle. Lone pairs repel more strongly than bonded pairs, causing the bond angle to decrease.

Consider the electron pair geometry around the oxygen atom in OCl2. Oxygen has two lone pairs and two bonding pairs, leading to a bent shape similar to H2O.

Recognize that the bond angle in a bent molecule like OCl2 is typically less than the ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5° due to the repulsion caused by lone pairs.

Conclude that the Cl–O–Cl bond angle in OCl2 is less than 120° but greater than 109.5°, as the lone pairs push the chlorine atoms closer together, reducing the bond angle from the ideal tetrahedral angle.