Lone pairs

[Kimberly_Gutierrez_3B]

What is the difference between electrons in a lone pair vs. electrons contained in a bond between atoms?

[tashyavakil 2K]

electrons in lone pairs aren't involved in bonding and can affect the shape of atoms by repulsive forces between lone pairs.

[Mariko Hashimoto 2I]

If you are asking about formal charge and the equation FC=V-(L+S/2), then lone pairs would subtract 2 each from the total valence electrons (one for each electron of the lone pair) while the bonds subtract one each.

[Jeremiah Leonor 1J]

Electrons in a lone pair only contribute to their atom; bonds are shared electrons between atoms.

Hope that helps!

[Anubhav_Chandla1G]

Similar to what everyone said above, electrons in lone pairs have a large impact on the shape of the atom, while electrons shared in bonding pairs have a large impact on the bonding type and compound classification of that certain compound.

[Akshat Katoch 2K]

Electrons in lone pairs affect the shape of the atom (Bent shape of H2O from the 2 lone pairs). Electrons in bonds affect bonding type (how those electrons are shared).

[Litsa Dimit 1D]

Electrons contribute only to the atom in the molecule but the bonds are shared between the electrons.

[Grace_Wu]

electrons in lone pairs repel each other more than electrons in a bond, since the electrons in a bond is more structured in a limited space. The lone pairs affect the shape while electron bond affect the bonding type.

[Cynthia_L_2C]

Lone pairs are solely for their atom, but bonds are shared electrons between molecules.

[Daniel Tabibian 3K]

Electrons in a lone pair are only held by that atom while electrons in a bond are shared by the two atoms.

[Edriana J Altea 2G]

Hi! Electrons in a bond are shared by two other atoms while lone pairs are just within the one atom they are attached to. So therefore, they are very different in terms of the atoms being shared.

[Jessica Servoss 1H]

Non-bonded pairs, or lone pairs, are electrons that are not actively participating in bonding to another atom. Bonding pairs are electrons shared covalently with another atom. Both of these affect the shape of the molecule, as lone pair--lone pair repulsion is the highest repulsive force in a molecule and bonding pair--bonding pair has the lowest repulsive force in molecules.

[Katherine Li 1A]

In terms of formal charge, lone pair electrons are counted individually, while electrons shared in a bond are counted by bonds. This is why you divide the number of shared electrons by 2 in the calculation.

Another way to think of it when calculating formal charge is subtracting the number of "things" from the original number of valence electrons. "Things" would refer to 1 bond or 1 lone electron.