Lone pairs
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Lone pairs
Why do lone pairs of electrons occupy a greater amount of space (and cause more repulsion) than bonded electron pairs?
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Re: Lone pairs
Lone pairs occupy more space because lone pair can move more in a region than a bonding pair can. Electrons repel each other because of that negative-negative charge.
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Re: Lone pairs
Correct; to expand on that, bonding pair electrons are more restricted in their domain because they experience attractive forces from both atom's nuclei, so are localized between the two nuclei. Lone pairs only experience attraction from one atom's nuclei, so they are not pulled as tightly. Therefore, they take up a larger space than bonding pair electrons
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Re: Lone pairs
This is why you may see lone pairs on opposite sides of each other because lone pairs want to be far from each other due to their repulsion. Thus, you may see them on opposite sides of the equatorial axis of a molecule.
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